MXene/VO₂@PMMA Composite Film Multi-responsive Actuator with Amphibious Motion

Area of Science:

• Soft robotics
• Materials science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Developing advanced actuators is crucial for next-generation robotics.
• Existing actuators often lack multi-stimuli responsiveness and amphibious capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel composite film actuator with dual actuation mechanisms.
• To develop millirobots with infrared stealth and amphibious locomotion.
• To explore new actuation principles based on material properties.

Main Methods:

• Encapsulating vanadium dioxide (VO2) phase-change materials with PMMA.
• Coating the composite onto Ti3C2Tx MXene thin films.
• Integrating the composite film into millirobot designs for locomotion and manipulation tasks.

Main Results:

• The composite film exhibits efficient photothermal conversion, electrical conductivity, and humidity-responsive actuation.
• Millirobots demonstrate crawling (10 mm min-1) and swimming (174 mm min-1) speeds.
• Achieved rapid 90° angular change in 3 s and successful navigation in confined spaces with infrared stealth.

Conclusions:

• The novel composite film actuator enables versatile millirobot functionalities, including amphibious locomotion and infrared stealth.
• The developed millirobots show high performance, rapid response, and stability in terrestrial and aquatic environments.
• This work advances soft robotics and materials science, opening avenues for complex applications.