Self-Sustained Chaotic Jumping of Liquid Crystal Elastomer Balloon under Steady Illumination

Self-sustained chaotic jumping systems composed of active materials are characterized by their ability to maintain motion through drawing energy from the steady external environment, holding significant promise in actuators, medical devices, biomimetic robots, and other fields. In this paper, an innovative light-powered self-sustained chaotic jumping system is proposed, which comprises a liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) balloon and an elastic substrate. The corresponding theoretical model is developed by combining the dynamic constitutive model of an LCE with Hertz contact theory. Under steady illumination, the stationary LCE balloon experiences contraction and expansion, and through the work of contact expansion between LCE balloon and elastic substrate, it ultimately jumps up from the elastic substrate, achieving self-sustained jumping. Numerical calculations reveal that the LCE balloon exhibits periodic jumping and chaotic jumping under steady illumination. Moreover, we reveal the mechanism underlying self-sustained periodic jumping of the balloon in which the damping dissipation is compensated through balloon contact with the elastic substrate, as well as the mechanism involved behind self-sustained chaotic jumping. Furthermore, we provide insights into the effects of system parameters on the self-sustained jumping behaviors. The emphasis in this study is on the self-sustained chaotic jumping system, and the variation of the balloon jumping modes with parameters is illustrated through bifurcation diagrams. This work deepens the understanding of chaotic motion, contributes to the research of motion behavior control of smart materials, and provides ideas for the bionic design of chaotic vibrators and chaotic jumping robots.