Light-Fueled Polymer Film Capable of Directional Crawling, Friction-Controlled Climbing, and Self-Sustained Motion on a Human Hair

Cheng，Ming1; Zeng，Hao2; Li，Yifei1; Liu，Jianxun1; Luo，Dan1; Priimagi，Arri2; Liu，Yan Jun1

2021

10.1002/advs.202103090

Advanced Science   影响因子和分区

2198-3844

Recent efforts in stimuli-responsive soft materials have enabled wirelessly controlled actuation with increasing degrees of freedom, yielding miniature robots capable of various locomotion in open environments such as on a plane or inside fluids. However, grand challenges remain in harnessing photomechanical deformation to induce locomotion and control of friction during the movement, especially for robotic actuations within constrained spaces. Here, the authors report a centimeter-long polymer strip made of a liquid crystal network that is capable of versatile light-fueled motions along a human hair. The soft polymer robot can translocate directionally upon temporally modulated excitation and climb vertically through friction control with light. A self-oscillating strip is demonstrated to continuously translocate along the hair upon a constant light stimulus, and its gaiting is associated to the smoothness of the hair surface. The results offer new insights to small-scale photo-actuator, mechanical control, and automation in soft micro robotics.

liquid crystal network locomotion micro robots photo-actuation self-oscillation soft actuators

SCI ; EI

英语

第一 ; 通讯

WOS:000712093300001

20214411092288

Degrees of freedom (mechanics) ; Liquid crystals ; Liquid films ; Mechanical actuators ; Polymer films ; Robotics ; Robots ; Semiconducting films

Semiconducting Materials:712.1 ; Robotics:731.5 ; Control Equipment:732.1 ; Polymeric Materials:815.1 ; Mechanics:931.1

2-s2.0-85117955592

Scopus

1.Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering,Southern University of Science and Technology,Shenzhen,518055,China
2.Smart Photonic Materials,Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences,Tampere University,Tampere,P.O. Box 541,FI-33101,Finland

Cheng，Ming,Zeng，Hao,Li，Yifei,et al. Light-Fueled Polymer Film Capable of Directional Crawling, Friction-Controlled Climbing, and Self-Sustained Motion on a Human Hair[J]. Advanced Science,2021,9.

Cheng，Ming.,Zeng，Hao.,Li，Yifei.,Liu，Jianxun.,Luo，Dan.,...&Liu，Yan Jun.(2021).Light-Fueled Polymer Film Capable of Directional Crawling, Friction-Controlled Climbing, and Self-Sustained Motion on a Human Hair.Advanced Science,9.

Cheng，Ming,et al."Light-Fueled Polymer Film Capable of Directional Crawling, Friction-Controlled Climbing, and Self-Sustained Motion on a Human Hair".Advanced Science 9(2021).