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Updated: May 3, 2026

Fabrication of Carbon-Based Ionic Electromechanically Active Soft Actuators
Published on: April 25, 2020
Transformable 3D curved high-density liquid metal coils - an integrated unit for general soft actuation, sensing and
Nan Li1,2, Yingxin Zhou1,2, Yuqing Li1,2
1State Key Laboratory of Cryogenic Science and Technology, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
Abstract:
Rigid solenoid coils have long been indispensable in modern intelligent devices. However, their sparse structure and challenging preparation of flexible coils for soft robots impose limitations. Here, a transformable 3D curved high-density liquid metal coil (HD-LMC) is introduced that surpasses the structural density level of enameled wire. The fabrication technique employed for high-density channels in elastomers is universally applicable. Such HD-LMCs demonstrated excellent performance in pressure, temperature, non-contact distance sensors, and near-field communication. Soft electromagnetic actuators thus achieved significantly improved the electromagnetic force and power density. Moreover, precise control of swinging tail motion enables a bionic pufferfish to swim. Finally, HD-LMC is further utilized to successfully implement a soft rotary robot with integrated sensing and actuation capabilities. This groundbreaking research provides a theoretical and experimental basis for expanding the applications of liquid metal-based multi-dimensional complex flexible electronics and is expected to be widely used in liquid metal-integrated robotic systems.
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