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Plants Inspired Shape-Programmable and Reconfigurable Actuation Soft Actuators for Adaptive Grasping, Sensing and
Zixu Zhang1, Zhi Li2, Weizhong Yuan1
1School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 201804, P. R. China.
Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|April 8, 2025
Summary
This study introduces a novel soft actuator inspired by plants, capable of programmable shape changes and reconfigurable actuation using stimuli like heat and light. This advancement enables complex tasks in soft robotics and intelligent systems.
Area of Science:
- Soft robotics
- Materials science
- Biomimetic engineering
Background:
- Developing soft actuators for diverse applications like artificial muscles and medical devices is essential but challenging.
- Intelligent soft actuators that can operate in varied environments and perform complex tasks are needed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and fabricate a novel sandwich-structured soft actuator (LPPSA) with shape programmability and reconfigurable actuation.
- To integrate poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) and liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) for enhanced performance.
- To demonstrate multifunctional capabilities including sensing and machine learning applications.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a sandwich-structured actuator using PNIPAM, LCE, and polypropylene nonwoven fabric.
- Utilizing PNIPAM's phase transition above its lower critical solution temperature (LCST) for shape programmability.
- Employing LCE for rapid thermal response and a photothermal converter (Solvent Black 7) for wireless near-infrared (NIR) actuation.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated shape programmability through controlled stimuli duration and location.
- Achieved rapid deformation via LCE's thermal response and wireless actuation using NIR.
- Showcased capabilities in underwater grasping, variable-volume gripping, biomimetic tasks, and gesture transformations.
- Integrated sensing functions for motion and temperature, and employed machine learning for underwater object recognition.
Conclusions:
- The developed LPPSA serves as a versatile platform for multifunctional soft actuators.
- This work provides a template for designing intelligent soft actuators for diverse environmental operations.
- Advances applications in soft robotics, intelligent systems, and underwater robotics.
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