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Xian W, Zhan YS, Maiti A, Saab AP, Li Y. Filled Elastomers: Mechanistic and Physics-Driven Modeling and Applications as Smart Materials. Polymers (Basel) 2024; 16:1387. [PMID: 38794580 PMCID: PMC11125212 DOI: 10.3390/polym16101387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2024] [Revised: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Elastomers are made of chain-like molecules to form networks that can sustain large deformation. Rubbers are thermosetting elastomers that are obtained from irreversible curing reactions. Curing reactions create permanent bonds between the molecular chains. On the other hand, thermoplastic elastomers do not need curing reactions. Incorporation of appropriated filler particles, as has been practiced for decades, can significantly enhance mechanical properties of elastomers. However, there are fundamental questions about polymer matrix composites (PMCs) that still elude complete understanding. This is because the macroscopic properties of PMCs depend not only on the overall volume fraction (ϕ) of the filler particles, but also on their spatial distribution (i.e., primary, secondary, and tertiary structure). This work aims at reviewing how the mechanical properties of PMCs are related to the microstructure of filler particles and to the interaction between filler particles and polymer matrices. Overall, soft rubbery matrices dictate the elasticity/hyperelasticity of the PMCs while the reinforcement involves polymer-particle interactions that can significantly influence the mechanical properties of the polymer matrix interface. For ϕ values higher than a threshold, percolation of the filler particles can lead to significant reinforcement. While viscoelastic behavior may be attributed to the soft rubbery component, inelastic behaviors like the Mullins and Payne effects are highly correlated to the microstructures of the polymer matrix and the filler particles, as well as that of the polymer-particle interface. Additionally, the incorporation of specific filler particles within intelligently designed polymer systems has been shown to yield a variety of functional and responsive materials, commonly termed smart materials. We review three types of smart PMCs, i.e., magnetoelastic (M-), shape-memory (SM-), and self-healing (SH-) PMCs, and discuss the constitutive models for these smart materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weikang Xian
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA; (W.X.); (Y.-S.Z.)
| | - You-Shu Zhan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA; (W.X.); (Y.-S.Z.)
| | - Amitesh Maiti
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550, USA; (A.M.); (A.P.S.)
| | - Andrew P. Saab
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550, USA; (A.M.); (A.P.S.)
| | - Ying Li
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA; (W.X.); (Y.-S.Z.)
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2
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Zhou K, Sun R, Wojciechowski JP, Wang R, Yeow J, Zuo Y, Song X, Wang C, Shao Y, Stevens MM. 4D Multimaterial Printing of Soft Actuators with Spatial and Temporal Control. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2312135. [PMID: 38290081 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202312135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Soft actuators (SAs) are devices which can interact with delicate objects in a manner not achievable with traditional robotics. While it is possible to design a SA whose actuation is triggered via an external stimulus, the use of a single stimulus creates challenges in the spatial and temporal control of the actuation. Herein, a 4D printed multimaterial soft actuator design (MMSA) whose actuation is only initiated by a combination of triggers (i.e., pH and temperature) is presented. Using 3D printing, a multilayered soft actuator with a hydrophilic pH-sensitive layer, and a hydrophobic magnetic and temperature-responsive shape-memory polymer layer, is designed. The hydrogel responds to environmental pH conditions by swelling or shrinking, while the shape-memory polymer can resist the shape deformation of the hydrogel until triggered by temperature or light. The combination of these stimuli-responsive layers allows for a high level of spatiotemporal control of the actuation. The utility of the 4D MMSA is demonstrated via a series of cargo capture and release experiments, validating its ability to demonstrate active spatiotemporal control. The MMSA concept provides a promising research direction to develop multifunctional soft devices with potential applications in biomedical engineering and environmental engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Zhou
- Department of Materials, Department of Bioengineering, and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Rujie Sun
- Department of Materials, Department of Bioengineering, and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Jonathan P Wojciechowski
- Department of Materials, Department of Bioengineering, and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Richard Wang
- Department of Materials, Department of Bioengineering, and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Jonathan Yeow
- Department of Materials, Department of Bioengineering, and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Yuyang Zuo
- Department of Materials, Department of Bioengineering, and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Xin Song
- Department of Materials, Department of Bioengineering, and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Chunliang Wang
- Department of Materials, Department of Bioengineering, and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Yue Shao
- Department of Materials, Department of Bioengineering, and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Molly M Stevens
- Department of Materials, Department of Bioengineering, and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, Department of Engineering Science, and Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
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3
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Cui Z, Wang Y, den Toonder JMJ. Metachronal Motion of Biological and Artificial Cilia. Biomimetics (Basel) 2024; 9:198. [PMID: 38667209 PMCID: PMC11048255 DOI: 10.3390/biomimetics9040198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Cilia are slender, hair-like cell protrusions that are present ubiquitously in the natural world. They perform essential functions, such as generating fluid flow, propulsion, and feeding, in organisms ranging from protozoa to the human body. The coordinated beating of cilia, which results in wavelike motions known as metachrony, has fascinated researchers for decades for its role in functions such as flow generation and mucus transport. Inspired by nature, researchers have explored diverse materials for the fabrication of artificial cilia and developed several methods to mimic the metachronal motion observed in their biological counterparts. In this review, we will introduce the different types of metachronal motion generated by both biological and artificial cilia, the latter including pneumatically, photonically, electrically, and magnetically driven artificial cilia. Furthermore, we review the possible applications of metachronal motion by artificial cilia, focusing on flow generation, transport of mucus, particles, and droplets, and microrobotic locomotion. The overall aim of this review is to offer a comprehensive overview of the metachronal motions exhibited by diverse artificial cilia and the corresponding practical implementations. Additionally, we identify the potential future directions within this field. These insights present an exciting opportunity for further advancements in this domain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiwei Cui
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands; (Z.C.); (Y.W.)
- Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Ye Wang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands; (Z.C.); (Y.W.)
- Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Jaap M. J. den Toonder
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands; (Z.C.); (Y.W.)
- Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
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4
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Liu Y, Huang J, Liu C, Song Z, Wu J, Zhao Q, Li Y, Dong F, Wang L, Xu H. Soft Millirobot Capable of Switching Motion Modes on the Fly for Targeted Drug Delivery in the Oviduct. ACS NANO 2024; 18:8694-8705. [PMID: 38466230 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c09753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Small-scale magnetic robots with fixed magnetizations have limited locomotion modes, restricting their applications in complex environments in vivo. Here we present a morphology-reconfigurable millirobot that can switch the locomotion modes locally by reprogramming its magnetizations during navigation, in response to distinct magnetic field patterns. By continuously switching its locomotion modes between the high-velocity rigid motion and high-adaptability soft actuation, the millirobot efficiently navigates in small lumens with intricate internal structures and complex surface topographies. As demonstrations, the millirobot performs multimodal locomotion including woodlouse-like rolling and flipping, sperm-like rotating, and snake-like gliding to negotiate different terrains, including the unrestricted channel and high platform, narrow channel, and solid-liquid interface, respectively. Finally, we demonstrate the drug delivery capability of the millirobot through the oviduct-mimicking phantom and ex vivo oviduct. The magnetization reprogramming strategy during navigation represents a promising approach for developing self-adaptive robots for performing complex tasks in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Liu
- Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, P. R. China, 1068 Xueyuan Avenue, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Jing Huang
- Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, P. R. China, 1068 Xueyuan Avenue, Shenzhen 518055, China
- Department of Polymer Materials and Engineering, College of Materials and Metallurgy, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Chu Liu
- Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, P. R. China, 1068 Xueyuan Avenue, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Zhongyi Song
- Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, P. R. China, 1068 Xueyuan Avenue, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Jiandong Wu
- Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, P. R. China, 1068 Xueyuan Avenue, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Qilong Zhao
- Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, P. R. China, 1068 Xueyuan Avenue, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Yingtian Li
- Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, P. R. China, 1068 Xueyuan Avenue, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Fuping Dong
- Department of Polymer Materials and Engineering, College of Materials and Metallurgy, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Lei Wang
- Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, P. R. China, 1068 Xueyuan Avenue, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Haifeng Xu
- Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, P. R. China, 1068 Xueyuan Avenue, Shenzhen 518055, China
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Jiang T, Zhang Y, Jiang J, Liu ZW, Liu ZT, Li G. UV Light-Mediated Hydrolytic Reaction to Develop Magnetic Hydrogel Actuators with Spatially Distributed Ferriferous Oxide Microparticles. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024:e2308352. [PMID: 38433397 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202308352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Magnetic hydrogel actuators are developed by incorporating magnetic fillers into the hydrogel matrix. Regulating the distribution of these fillers is key to the exhibited functionalities but is still challenging. Here a facile way to spatially synthesize ferrosoferric oxide (Fe3 O4 ) microparticles in situ in a thermal-responsive hydrogel is reported. This method involves the photo-reduction of Fe3+ ions coordinated with carboxylate groups in polymer chains, and the hydrolytic reaction of the reduced Fe2+ ions with residual Fe3+ ions. By controlling the irradiation time and position, the concentration of Fe3 O4 microparticles can be spatially controlled, and the resulting Fe3 O4 pattern enables the hydrogel to exhibit complex locomotion driven by magnet, temperature, and NIR light. This method is convenient and extendable to other hydrogel systems to realize more complicated magneto-responsive functionalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tongxin Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Syngas Conversion of Shaanxi Province, Key Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry, Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710062, China
| | - Yingying Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Syngas Conversion of Shaanxi Province, Key Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry, Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710062, China
| | - Jinqiang Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Syngas Conversion of Shaanxi Province, Key Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry, Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710062, China
| | - Zhong-Wen Liu
- Key Laboratory of Syngas Conversion of Shaanxi Province, Key Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry, Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710062, China
| | - Zhao-Tie Liu
- Key Laboratory of Syngas Conversion of Shaanxi Province, Key Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry, Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710062, China
| | - Guo Li
- Key Laboratory of Syngas Conversion of Shaanxi Province, Key Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry, Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710062, China
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6
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Leanza S, Wu S, Sun X, Qi HJ, Zhao RR. Active Materials for Functional Origami. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2302066. [PMID: 37120795 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202302066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
In recent decades, origami has been explored to aid in the design of engineering structures. These structures span multiple scales and have been demonstrated to be used toward various areas such as aerospace, metamaterial, biomedical, robotics, and architectural applications. Conventionally, origami or deployable structures have been actuated by hands, motors, or pneumatic actuators, which can result in heavy or bulky structures. On the other hand, active materials, which reconfigure in response to external stimulus, eliminate the need for external mechanical loads and bulky actuation systems. Thus, in recent years, active materials incorporated with deployable structures have shown promise for remote actuation of light weight, programmable origami. In this review, active materials such as shape memory polymers (SMPs) and alloys (SMAs), hydrogels, liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs), magnetic soft materials (MSMs), and covalent adaptable network (CAN) polymers, their actuation mechanisms, as well as how they have been utilized for active origami and where these structures are applicable is discussed. Additionally, the state-of-the-art fabrication methods to construct active origami are highlighted. The existing structural modeling strategies for origami, the constitutive models used to describe active materials, and the largest challenges and future directions for active origami research are summarized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Leanza
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Shuai Wu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Xiaohao Sun
- The George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - H Jerry Qi
- The George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Ruike Renee Zhao
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
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7
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Zhang Z, Shi Z, Ahmed D. SonoTransformers: Transformable acoustically activated wireless microscale machines. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2314661121. [PMID: 38289954 PMCID: PMC10861920 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2314661121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Shape transformation, a key mechanism for organismal survival and adaptation, has gained importance in developing synthetic shape-shifting systems with diverse applications ranging from robotics to bioengineering. However, designing and controlling microscale shape-shifting materials remains a fundamental challenge in various actuation modalities. As materials and structures are scaled down to the microscale, they often exhibit size-dependent characteristics, and the underlying physical mechanisms can be significantly affected or rendered ineffective. Additionally, surface forces such as van der Waals forces and electrostatic forces become dominant at the microscale, resulting in stiction and adhesion between small structures, making them fracture and more difficult to deform. Furthermore, despite various actuation approaches, acoustics have received limited attention despite their potential advantages. Here, we introduce "SonoTransformer," the acoustically activated micromachine that delivers shape transformability using preprogrammed soft hinges with different stiffnesses. When exposed to an acoustic field, these hinges concentrate sound energy through intensified oscillation and provide the necessary force and torque for the transformation of the entire micromachine within milliseconds. We have created machine designs to predetermine the folding state, enabling precise programming and customization of the acoustic transformation. Additionally, we have shown selective shape transformable microrobots by adjusting acoustic power, realizing high degrees of control and functional versatility. Our findings open new research avenues in acoustics, physics, and soft matter, offering new design paradigms and development opportunities in robotics, metamaterials, adaptive optics, flexible electronics, and microtechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyuan Zhang
- Acoustic Robotics Systems Lab, Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, ZurichCH-8803, Switzerland
| | - Zhan Shi
- Acoustic Robotics Systems Lab, Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, ZurichCH-8803, Switzerland
| | - Daniel Ahmed
- Acoustic Robotics Systems Lab, Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, ZurichCH-8803, Switzerland
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8
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Ren Z, Sitti M. Design and build of small-scale magnetic soft-bodied robots with multimodal locomotion. Nat Protoc 2024; 19:441-486. [PMID: 38097687 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-023-00916-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Small-scale magnetic soft-bodied robots can be designed to operate based on different locomotion modes to navigate and function inside unstructured, confined and varying environments. These soft millirobots may be useful for medical applications where the robots are tasked with moving inside the human body. Here we cover the entire process of developing small-scale magnetic soft-bodied millirobots with multimodal locomotion capability, including robot design, material preparation, robot fabrication, locomotion control and locomotion optimization. We describe in detail the design, fabrication and control of a sheet-shaped soft millirobot with 12 different locomotion modes for traversing different terrains, an ephyra jellyfish-inspired soft millirobot that can manipulate objects in liquids through various swimming modes, a larval zebrafish-inspired soft millirobot that can adjust its body stiffness for efficient propulsion in different swimming speeds and a dual stimuli-responsive sheet-shaped soft millirobot that can switch its locomotion modes automatically by responding to changes in the environmental temperature. The procedure is aimed at users with basic expertise in soft robot development. The procedure requires from a few days to several weeks to complete, depending on the degree of characterization required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziyu Ren
- Physical Intelligence Department, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Metin Sitti
- Physical Intelligence Department, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart, Germany.
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
- School of Medicine and College of Engineering, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey.
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9
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Kim J, Bae J. Self-Locking Pneumatic Actuators Formed from Origami Shape-Morphing Sheets. Soft Robot 2024; 11:32-42. [PMID: 37616544 DOI: 10.1089/soro.2022.0233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The art of origami has gained traction in various fields such as architecture, the aerospace industry, and soft robotics, owing to the exceptional versatility of flat sheets to exhibit complex shape transformations. Despite the promise that origami robots hold, their use in high-capacity environments has been limited due to the lack of rigidity. This article introduces novel, origami-inspired, self-locking pneumatic modular actuators (SPMAs), enabling them to operate in such environments. Our innovative approach is based on origami patterns that allow for various types of shape morphing, including linear and rotational motion. We have significantly enhanced the stiffness of the actuators by embedding magnets in composite sheets, thus facilitating their application in real-world scenarios. In addition, the embedded self-adjustable valves facilitate the control of sequential origami actuations, making it possible to simplify the pneumatic system for actuating multimodules. With just one actuation source and one solenoid valve, the valves enable efficient control of our SPMAs. The SPMAs can control robotic arms operating in confined spaces, and the entire system can be modularized to accomplish various tasks. Our results demonstrate the potential of origami-inspired designs to achieve more efficient and reliable robotic systems, thus opening up new avenues for the development of robotic systems for various applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juri Kim
- Bio-Robotics and Control Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, Korea
| | - Joonbum Bae
- Bio-Robotics and Control Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, Korea
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10
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Ning L, Limpabandhu C, Tse ZTH. Engineering Magnetic Soft and Reconfigurable Robots. Soft Robot 2024; 11:2-20. [PMID: 37527211 DOI: 10.1089/soro.2022.0206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Magnetic control has gained popularity recently due to its ability to enhance soft robots with reconfigurability and untethered maneuverability, among other capabilities. Several advancements in the fabrication and application of reconfigurable magnetic soft robots have been reported. This review summarizes novel fabrication techniques for designing magnetic soft robots, including chemical and physical methods. Mechanisms of reconfigurability and deformation properties are discussed in detail. The maneuverability of magnetic soft robots is then briefly discussed. Finally, the present challenges and possible future work in designing reconfigurable magnetic soft robots for biomedical applications are identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linxiaohai Ning
- Centre for Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Materials Science, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Chayabhan Limpabandhu
- Centre for Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Materials Science, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Zion Tsz Ho Tse
- Centre for Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Materials Science, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
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11
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Lee G, Park G, Park JG, Bak Y, Lee C, Yoon DK. Universal Strategy for Inorganic Nanoparticle Incorporation into Mesoporous Liquid Crystal Polymer Particles. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2307388. [PMID: 37991422 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202307388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
Developing inorganic-organic composite polymers necessitates a new strategy for effectively controlling shape and optical properties while accommodating guest materials, as conventional polymers primarily act as carriers that transport inorganic substances. Here, a universal approach is introduced utilizing mesoporous liquid crystal polymer particles (MLPs) to fabricate inorganic-organic composites. By leveraging the liquid crystal phase, morphology and optical properties are precisely controlled through the molecular-level arrangement of the host, here monomers. The controlled host material allows the synthesis of inorganic particles within the matrix or accommodation of presynthesized nano-inorganic particles, all while preserving the intrinsic properties of the host material. This composite material surpasses the functional capabilities of the polymer alone by sequentially integrating one or more inorganic materials, allowing for the incorporation of multiple functionalities within a single polymer particle. Furthermore, this approach effectively mitigates the drawbacks associated with guest materials resulting in a substantial enhancement of composite performance. The presented approach is anticipated to hold immense potential for various applications in optoelectronics, catalysis, and biosensing, addressing the evolving demands of the society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geunjung Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Geonhyeong Park
- Department of Chemistry, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Jesse G Park
- Department of Chemistry, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Yeongseo Bak
- Department of Chemistry, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Changjae Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong Ki Yoon
- Department of Chemistry, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
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12
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Zhao X, Yao H, Lv Y, Chen Z, Dong L, Huang J, Mi S. Reprogrammable Magnetic Soft Actuators with Microfluidic Functional Modules via Pixel-Assembly. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024:e2310009. [PMID: 38295155 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202310009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 12/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
Magnetic soft actuators and robots have attracted considerable attention in biomedical applications due to their speedy response, programmability, and biocompatibility. Despite recent advancements, the fabrication process of magnetic actuators and the reprogramming approach of their magnetization profiles continue to pose challenges. Here, a facile fabrication strategy is reported based on arrangements and distributions of reusable magnetic pixels on silicone substrates, allowing for various magnetic actuators with customizable architectures, arbitrary magnetization profiles, and integration of microfluidic technology. This approach enables intricate configurations with decent deformability and programmability, as well as biomimetic movements involving grasping, swimming, and wriggling in response to magnetic actuation. Moreover, microfluidic functional modules are integrated for various purposes, such as on/off valve control, curvature adjustment, fluid mixing, dynamic microfluidic architecture, and liquid delivery robot. The proposed method fulfills the requirements of low-cost, rapid, and simplified preparation of magnetic actuators, since it eliminates the need to sustain pre-defined deformations during the magnetization process or to employ laser heating or other stimulation for reprogramming the magnetization profile. Consequently, it is envisioned that magnetic actuators fabricated via pixel-assembly will have broad prospects in microfluidics and biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Zhao
- Bio-manufacturing Engineering Laboratory, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518000, China
| | - Hongyi Yao
- Bio-manufacturing Engineering Laboratory, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518000, China
| | - Yaoyi Lv
- Bio-manufacturing Engineering Laboratory, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518000, China
| | - Zhixian Chen
- Bio-manufacturing Engineering Laboratory, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518000, China
| | - Lina Dong
- Bio-manufacturing Engineering Laboratory, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518000, China
| | - Jiajun Huang
- Bio-manufacturing Engineering Laboratory, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518000, China
- Optometry Advanced Medical Equipment R&D Center, Research Institute of Tsinghua University in Shenzhen, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518000, China
| | - Shengli Mi
- Bio-manufacturing Engineering Laboratory, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518000, China
- Optometry Advanced Medical Equipment R&D Center, Research Institute of Tsinghua University in Shenzhen, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518000, China
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13
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Wang S, Lim S, Tasmim S, Kalairaj MS, Rivera-Tarazona LK, Abdelrahman MK, Javed M, George SM, Lee YJ, Jawed MK, Ware TH. Reconfigurable Growth of Engineered Living Materials. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024:e2309818. [PMID: 38288578 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202309818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
The growth of multicellular organisms is a process akin to additive manufacturing where cellular proliferation and mechanical boundary conditions, among other factors, drive morphogenesis. Engineers have limited ability to engineer morphogenesis to manufacture goods or to reconfigure materials comprised of biomass. Herein, a method that uses biological processes to grow and regrow magnetic engineered living materials (mELMs) into desired geometries is reported. These composites contain Saccharomyces cerevisiae and magnetic particles within a hydrogel matrix. The reconfigurable manufacturing process relies on the growth of living cells, magnetic forces, and elastic recovery of the hydrogel. The mELM then adopts a form in an external magnetic field. Yeast within the material proliferates, resulting in 259 ± 14% volume expansion. Yeast proliferation fixes the magnetic deformation, even when the magnetic field is removed. The shape fixity can be up to 99.3 ± 0.3%. The grown mELM can recover up to 73.9 ± 1.9% of the original form by removing yeast cell walls. The directed growth and recovery process can be repeated at least five times. This work enables ELMs to be processed and reprocessed into user-defined geometries without external material deposition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suitu Wang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77840, USA
| | - Sangmin Lim
- Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Seelay Tasmim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77840, USA
| | | | | | - Mustafa K Abdelrahman
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77840, USA
| | - Mahjabeen Javed
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77840, USA
| | - Sasha M George
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77840, USA
| | - Yoo Jin Lee
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77840, USA
| | - M Khalid Jawed
- Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Taylor H Ware
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77840, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77840, USA
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14
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Espíndola-Pérez E, Campo J, Sánchez-Somolinos C. Multimodal and Multistimuli 4D-Printed Magnetic Composite Liquid Crystal Elastomer Actuators. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024; 16:2704-2715. [PMID: 38150329 PMCID: PMC10797586 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c14607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 12/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
Liquid crystal elastomer (LCE)-based soft actuators are being studied for their significant shape-changing abilities when they are exposed to heat or light. Nevertheless, their relatively slow response compared with soft magnetic materials limits their application possibilities. Integration of magnetic responsiveness with LCEs has been previously attempted; however, the LCE response is typically jeopardized in high volumes of magnetic microparticles (MMPs). Here, a multistimuli, magnetically active LCE (MLCE), capable of producing programmable and multimodal actuation, is presented. The MLCE, composed of MMPs within an LCE matrix, is generated through extrusion-based 4D printing that enables digital control of mesogen orientation even at a 1:1 (LCE:MMPs) weight ratio, a challenging task to accomplish with other methods. The printed actuators can significantly deform when thermally actuated as well as exhibit fast response to magnetic fields. When combining thermal and magnetic stimuli, modes of actuation inaccessible with only one input are achieved. For instance, the actuator is reconfigured into various states by using the heat-mediated LCE response, followed by subsequent magnetic addressing. The multistimuli capabilities of the MLCE composite expand its applicability where common LCE actuators face limitations in speed and precision. To illustrate, a beam-steering device developed by using these materials is presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erick
R. Espíndola-Pérez
- Departamento
de Física de la Materia Condensada, Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragón (INMA), CSIC-Universidad
de Zaragoza, Zaragoza 50009, Spain
| | - Javier Campo
- Departamento
de Física de la Materia Condensada, Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragón (INMA), CSIC-Universidad
de Zaragoza, Zaragoza 50009, Spain
| | - Carlos Sánchez-Somolinos
- Departamento
de Física de la Materia Condensada, Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragón (INMA), CSIC-Universidad
de Zaragoza, Zaragoza 50009, Spain
- Centro
de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Bioingeniería,
Biomateriales y Nanomedicina, Instituto
de Salud Carlos III, Zaragoza 50018, Spain
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15
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Nadzharyan TA, Kramarenko EY. Effects of Filler Anisometry on the Mechanical Response of a Magnetoactive Elastomer Cell: A Single-Inclusion Modeling Approach. Polymers (Basel) 2023; 16:118. [PMID: 38201782 PMCID: PMC10780330 DOI: 10.3390/polym16010118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
A finite-element model of the mechanical response of a magnetoactive elastomer (MAE) volume element is presented. Unit cells containing a single ferromagnetic inclusion with geometric and magnetic anisotropy are considered. The equilibrium state of the cell is calculated using the finite-element method and cell energy minimization. The response of the cell to three different excitation modes is studied: inclusion rotation, inclusion translation, and uniaxial cell stress. The influence of the magnetic properties of the filler particles on the equilibrium state of the MAE cell is considered. The dependence of the mechanical response of the cell on the filler concentration and inclusion anisometry is calculated and analyzed. Optimal filler shapes for maximizing the magnetic response of the MAE are discussed.
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16
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Wajahat M, Kim JH, Kim JH, Jung ID, Pyo J, Seol SK. 4D Printing of Ultrastretchable Magnetoactive Soft Material Architectures for Soft Actuators. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023; 15:59582-59591. [PMID: 38100363 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c12173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Magnetoactive soft materials (MSMs) comprising magnetic particles and soft matrices have emerged as smart materials for realizing soft actuators. 4D printing, which involves fabricating 3D architectures that can transform shapes under external magnetic fields, is an effective way to fabricate MSMs-based soft actuators with complex shapes. The printed MSMs must be flexible, stretchable, and adaptable in their magnetization profiles to maximize the degrees of freedom for shape morphing. This study utilizes a facile 4D printing strategy for producing ultrastretchable (stretchability > 1000%) MSM 3D architectures for soft-actuator applications. The strategy involves two sequential steps: (i) direct ink writing (DIW) of the MSM 3D architectures with ink composed of NdFeB and styrene-isoprene block copolymers (SIS) at room temperature and (ii) programming and reconfiguration of the magnetization profiles of the printed architecture using an origami-inspired magnetization method (magnetization field, Hm = 2.7 T). Various differently shaped MSM 3D architectures, which can be transformed into desired shapes under an actuation magnetic field (Ba = 85 mT), are successfully fabricated. In addition, two different soft-actuator applications are demonstrated: a multifinger magnetic soft gripper and a Kirigami-shaped 3D electrical switch with conductive and magnetic functionalities. Our strategy shows potential for realizing multifunctional, shape-morphing, and reprogrammable magnetoactive devices for advanced soft-actuator applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Wajahat
- Smart 3D Printing Research Team, Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI), Changwon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do 51543, Republic of Korea
- Electro-Functional Materials Engineering, University of Science and Technology (UST), Changwon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do 51543, Republic of Korea
| | - Je Hyeong Kim
- Smart 3D Printing Research Team, Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI), Changwon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do 51543, Republic of Korea
- Electro-Functional Materials Engineering, University of Science and Technology (UST), Changwon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do 51543, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung Hyun Kim
- Smart 3D Printing Research Team, Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI), Changwon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do 51543, Republic of Korea
- Electro-Functional Materials Engineering, University of Science and Technology (UST), Changwon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do 51543, Republic of Korea
| | - Im Doo Jung
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulju-gun, Ulsangwang-yeogsi, Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaeyeon Pyo
- Smart 3D Printing Research Team, Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI), Changwon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do 51543, Republic of Korea
- Electro-Functional Materials Engineering, University of Science and Technology (UST), Changwon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do 51543, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Kwon Seol
- Smart 3D Printing Research Team, Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI), Changwon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do 51543, Republic of Korea
- Electro-Functional Materials Engineering, University of Science and Technology (UST), Changwon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do 51543, Republic of Korea
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17
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Wang L, Chang Y, Wu S, Zhao RR, Chen W. Physics-aware differentiable design of magnetically actuated kirigami for shape morphing. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8516. [PMID: 38129420 PMCID: PMC10739944 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44303-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Shape morphing that transforms morphologies in response to stimuli is crucial for future multifunctional systems. While kirigami holds great promise in enhancing shape-morphing, existing designs primarily focus on kinematics and overlook the underlying physics. This study introduces a differentiable inverse design framework that considers the physical interplay between geometry, materials, and stimuli of active kirigami, made by soft material embedded with magnetic particles, to realize target shape-morphing upon magnetic excitation. We achieve this by combining differentiable kinematics and energy models into a constrained optimization, simultaneously designing the cuts and magnetization orientations to ensure kinematic and physical feasibility. Complex kirigami designs are obtained automatically with unparalleled efficiency, which can be remotely controlled to morph into intricate target shapes and even multiple states. The proposed framework can be extended to accommodate various active systems, bridging geometry and physics to push the frontiers in shape-morphing applications, like flexible electronics and minimally invasive surgery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liwei Wang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Yilong Chang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Shuai Wu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Ruike Renee Zhao
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Wei Chen
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA.
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18
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Li S, Zhang J, He J, Liu W, Wang Y, Huang Z, Pang H, Chen Y. Functional PDMS Elastomers: Bulk Composites, Surface Engineering, and Precision Fabrication. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2304506. [PMID: 37814364 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202304506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-the simplest and most common silicone compound-exemplifies the central characteristics of its class and has attracted tremendous research attention. The development of PDMS-based materials is a vivid reflection of the modern industry. In recent years, PDMS has stood out as the material of choice for various emerging technologies. The rapid improvement in bulk modification strategies and multifunctional surfaces has enabled a whole new generation of PDMS-based materials and devices, facilitating, and even transforming enormous applications, including flexible electronics, superwetting surfaces, soft actuators, wearable and implantable sensors, biomedicals, and autonomous robotics. This paper reviews the latest advances in the field of PDMS-based functional materials, with a focus on the added functionality and their use as programmable materials for smart devices. Recent breakthroughs regarding instant crosslinking and additive manufacturing are featured, and exciting opportunities for future research are highlighted. This review provides a quick entrance to this rapidly evolving field and will help guide the rational design of next-generation soft materials and devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaopeng Li
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China
| | - Jiaqi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China
| | - Jian He
- Yizhi Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd, No. 99 Danba Road, Putuo District, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - Weiping Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China
- Center for Composites, COMAC Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing Co. Ltd, Shanghai, 201620, China
| | - YuHuang Wang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
- Maryland NanoCenter, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Zhongjie Huang
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China
| | - Huan Pang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, 225009, China
| | - Yiwang Chen
- National Engineering Research Center for Carbohydrate Synthesis/Key Lab of Fluorine and Silicon for Energy Materials and Chemistry of Ministry of Education, Jiangxi Normal University, 99 Ziyang Avenue, Nanchang, 330022, China
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19
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Xu Z, Chen Y, Xu Q. Spreadable Magnetic Soft Robots with On-Demand Hardening. RESEARCH (WASHINGTON, D.C.) 2023; 6:0262. [PMID: 38034084 PMCID: PMC10687580 DOI: 10.34133/research.0262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Magnetically actuated mobile robots demonstrate attractive advantages in various medical applications due to their wireless and programmable executions with tiny sizes. Confronted with complex application scenarios, however, it requires more flexible and adaptive deployment and utilization methods to fully exploit the functionalities brought by magnetic robots. Herein, we report a design and utilization strategy of magnetic soft robots using a mixture of magnetic particles and non-Newtonian fluidic soft materials to produce programmable, hardened, adhesive, reconfigurable soft robots. For deployment, their ultrasoft structure and adhesion enable them to be spread on various surfaces, achieving magnetic actuation empowerment. The reported technology can potentially improve the functionality of robotic end-effectors and functional surfaces. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed robots could help to grasp and actuate objects 300 times heavier than their weight. Furthermore, it is the first time we have enhanced the stiffness of mechanical structures for these soft materials by on-demand programmable hardening, enabling the robots to maximize force outputs. These findings offer a promising path to understanding, designing, and leveraging magnetic robots for more powerful applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Qingsong Xu
- Department of Electromechanical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology,
University of Macau, Macau, China
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20
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Dong P, Li Y, Chen S, Grafstein JT, Khan I, Yao S. Decoding silent speech commands from articulatory movements through soft magnetic skin and machine learning. MATERIALS HORIZONS 2023; 10:5607-5620. [PMID: 37751158 DOI: 10.1039/d3mh01062g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
Silent speech interfaces have been pursued to restore spoken communication for individuals with voice disorders and to facilitate intuitive communications when acoustic-based speech communication is unreliable, inappropriate, or undesired. However, the current methodology for silent speech faces several challenges, including bulkiness, obtrusiveness, low accuracy, limited portability, and susceptibility to interferences. In this work, we present a wireless, unobtrusive, and robust silent speech interface for tracking and decoding speech-relevant movements of the temporomandibular joint. Our solution employs a single soft magnetic skin placed behind the ear for wireless and socially acceptable silent speech recognition. The developed system alleviates several concerns associated with existing interfaces based on face-worn sensors, including a large number of sensors, highly visible interfaces on the face, and obtrusive interconnections between sensors and data acquisition components. With machine learning-based signal processing techniques, good speech recognition accuracy is achieved (93.2% accuracy for phonemes, and 87.3% for a list of words from the same viseme groups). Moreover, the reported silent speech interface demonstrates robustness against noises from both ambient environments and users' daily motions. Finally, its potential in assistive technology and human-machine interactions is illustrated through two demonstrations - silent speech enabled smartphone assistants and silent speech enabled drone control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Penghao Dong
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794, USA.
| | - Yizong Li
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794, USA.
| | - Si Chen
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794, USA.
| | - Justin T Grafstein
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794, USA.
| | - Irfaan Khan
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794, USA
| | - Shanshan Yao
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794, USA.
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21
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Liang X, Zhao Y, Liu D, Deng Y, Arai T, Kojima M, Liu X. Magnetic Microrobots Fabricated by Photopolymerization and Assembly. CYBORG AND BIONIC SYSTEMS 2023; 4:0060. [PMID: 38026540 PMCID: PMC10644835 DOI: 10.34133/cbsystems.0060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Magnetic soft microrobots have great potential to access narrow spaces and conduct multiple tasks in the biomedical field. Until now, drug delivery, microsurgery, disease diagnosis, and dredging the blocked blood vessel have been realized by magnetic soft microrobots in vivo or in vitro. However, as the tasks become more and more complex, more functional units have been embedded in the body of the developed magnetic microrobots. These magnetic soft microrobots with complex designed geometries, mechanisms, and magnetic orientation are now greatly challenging the fabrication of the magnetic microrobots. In this paper, we propose a new method combining photopolymerization and assembly for the fabrication of magnetic soft microrobots. Utilizing the micro-hand assembly system, magnetic modules with different shapes and materials are firstly arrayed with precise position and orientation control. Then, the developed photopolymerization system is employed to fix and link these modules with soft materials. Based on the proposed fabrication method, 3 kinds of soft magnetic microrobots were fabricated, and the fundamental locomotion was presented. We believe that the presented fabrication strategy could help accelerate the clinical application of magnetic microrobots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiyue Liang
- Key Laboratory of Biomimetic Robots and Systems, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Intelligent Control and Decision of Complex System, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Intelligent Robots and Systems, and School of Mechatronical Engineering,
Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Yue Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Biomimetic Robots and Systems, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Intelligent Control and Decision of Complex System, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Intelligent Robots and Systems, and School of Mechatronical Engineering,
Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Dan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Biomimetic Robots and Systems, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Intelligent Control and Decision of Complex System, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Intelligent Robots and Systems, and School of Mechatronical Engineering,
Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Yan Deng
- Key Laboratory of Biomimetic Robots and Systems, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Intelligent Control and Decision of Complex System, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Intelligent Robots and Systems, and School of Mechatronical Engineering,
Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Tatsuo Arai
- Key Laboratory of Biomimetic Robots and Systems, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Intelligent Control and Decision of Complex System, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Intelligent Robots and Systems, and School of Mechatronical Engineering,
Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
- Center for Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering,
The University of Electro-Communications, Tokyo 182-8585, Japan
| | - Masaru Kojima
- Department of Materials Engineering Science,
Osaka University, Osaka 560-8531, Japan
| | - Xiaoming Liu
- Key Laboratory of Biomimetic Robots and Systems, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Intelligent Control and Decision of Complex System, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Intelligent Robots and Systems, and School of Mechatronical Engineering,
Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
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22
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Zhang Y, Wu X, Vadlamani RA, Lim Y, Kim J, David K, Gilbert E, Li Y, Wang R, Jiang S, Wang A, Sontheimer H, English DF, Emori S, Davalos RV, Poelzing S, Jia X. Submillimeter Multifunctional Ferromagnetic Fiber Robots for Navigation, Sensing, and Modulation. Adv Healthc Mater 2023; 12:e2300964. [PMID: 37473719 PMCID: PMC10799194 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202300964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
Small-scale robots capable of remote active steering and navigation offer great potential for biomedical applications. However, the current design and manufacturing procedure impede their miniaturization and integration of various diagnostic and therapeutic functionalities. Herein, submillimeter fiber robots that can integrate navigation, sensing, and modulation functions are presented. These fiber robots are fabricated through a scalable thermal drawing process at a speed of 4 meters per minute, which enables the integration of ferromagnetic, electrical, optical, and microfluidic composite with an overall diameter of as small as 250 µm and a length of as long as 150 m. The fiber tip deflection angle can reach up to 54o under a uniform magnetic field of 45 mT. These fiber robots can navigate through complex and constrained environments, such as artificial vessels and brain phantoms. Moreover, Langendorff mouse hearts model, glioblastoma micro platforms, and in vivo mouse models are utilized to demonstrate the capabilities of sensing electrophysiology signals and performing a localized treatment. Additionally, it is demonstrated that the fiber robots can serve as endoscopes with embedded waveguides. These fiber robots provide a versatile platform for targeted multimodal detection and treatment at hard-to-reach locations in a minimally invasive and remotely controllable manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujing Zhang
- Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Xiaobo Wu
- Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health Graduate Program, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA, 24016, USA
- Center for Heart and Reparative Medicine Research, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, VA, 24016, USA
| | - Ram Anand Vadlamani
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Youngmin Lim
- Department of Physics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Jongwoon Kim
- Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Kailee David
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Earl Gilbert
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - You Li
- Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Ruixuan Wang
- Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Shan Jiang
- Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Anbo Wang
- Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Harald Sontheimer
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22903, USA
| | | | - Satoru Emori
- Department of Physics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Rafael V Davalos
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Steven Poelzing
- Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health Graduate Program, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA, 24016, USA
- Center for Heart and Reparative Medicine Research, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, VA, 24016, USA
| | - Xiaoting Jia
- Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
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23
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Li M, Pal A, Byun J, Gardi G, Sitti M. Magnetic Putty as a Reconfigurable, Recyclable, and Accessible Soft Robotic Material. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2023; 35:e2304825. [PMID: 37713134 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202304825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Magnetically hard materials are widely used to build soft magnetic robots, providing large magnetic force/torque and macrodomain programmability. However, their high magnetic coercivity often presents practical challenges when attempting to reconfigure magnetization patterns, requiring a large magnetic field or heating. In this study, magnetic putty is introduced as a magnetically hard and soft material with large remanence and low coercivity. It is shown that the magnetization of magnetic putty can be easily reoriented with maximum magnitude using an external field that is only one-tenth of its coercivity. Additionally, magnetic putty is a malleable, autonomous self-healing material that can be recycled and repurposed. The authors anticipate magnetic putty could provide a versatile and accessible tool for various magnetic robotics applications for fast prototyping and explorations for research and educational purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Li
- Department of Physical Intelligence, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Aniket Pal
- Department of Physical Intelligence, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany
- Institute of Applied Mechanics, University of Stuttgart, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Junghwan Byun
- Department of Physical Intelligence, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Gaurav Gardi
- Department of Physical Intelligence, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Metin Sitti
- Department of Physical Intelligence, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, ETH Zürich, Zürich, 8092, Switzerland
- School of Medicine and College of Engineering, Koç University, Istanbul, 34450, Turkey
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24
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Sun J, Lerner E, Tighe B, Middlemist C, Zhao J. Embedded shape morphing for morphologically adaptive robots. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6023. [PMID: 37758737 PMCID: PMC10533550 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41708-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Shape-morphing robots can change their morphology to fulfill different tasks in varying environments, but existing shape-morphing capability is not embedded in a robot's body, requiring bulky supporting equipment. Here, we report an embedded shape-morphing scheme with the shape actuation, sensing, and locking, all embedded in a robot's body. We showcase this embedded scheme using three morphing robotic systems: 1) self-sensing shape-morphing grippers that can adapt to objects for adaptive grasping; 2) a quadrupedal robot that can morph its body shape for different terrestrial locomotion modes (walk, crawl, or horizontal climb); 3) an untethered robot that can morph its limbs' shape for amphibious locomotion. We also create a library of embedded morphing modules to demonstrate the versatile programmable shapes (e.g., torsion, 3D bending, surface morphing, etc.). Our embedded morphing scheme offers a promising avenue for robots to reconfigure their morphology in an embedded manner that can adapt to different environments on demand.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiefeng Sun
- Adaptive Robotics Lab, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
| | - Elisha Lerner
- Adaptive Robotics Lab, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Brandon Tighe
- Adaptive Robotics Lab, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Clint Middlemist
- Adaptive Robotics Lab, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Jianguo Zhao
- Adaptive Robotics Lab, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
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25
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Yue L, Sun X, Yu L, Li M, Montgomery SM, Song Y, Nomura T, Tanaka M, Qi HJ. Cold-programmed shape-morphing structures based on grayscale digital light processing 4D printing. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5519. [PMID: 37684245 PMCID: PMC10491591 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41170-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Shape-morphing structures that can reconfigure their shape to adapt to diverse tasks are highly desirable for intelligent machines in many interdisciplinary fields. Shape memory polymers are one of the most widely used stimuli-responsive materials, especially in 3D/4D printing, for fabricating shape-morphing systems. They typically go through a hot-programming step to obtain the shape-morphing capability, which possesses limited freedom of reconfigurability. Cold-programming, which directly deforms the structure into a temporary shape without increasing the temperature, is simple and more versatile but has stringent requirements on material properties. Here, we introduce grayscale digital light processing (g-DLP) based 3D printing as a simple and effective platform for fabricating shape-morphing structures with cold-programming capabilities. With the multimaterial-like printing capability of g-DLP, we develop heterogeneous hinge modules that can be cold-programmed by simply stretching at room temperature. Different configurations can be encoded during 3D printing with the variable distribution and direction of the modular-designed hinges. The hinge module allows controllable independent morphing enabled by cold programming. By leveraging the multimaterial-like printing capability, multi-shape morphing structures are presented. The g-DLP printing with cold-programming morphing strategy demonstrates enormous potential in the design and fabrication of shape-morphing structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Yue
- The George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Xiaohao Sun
- The George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Luxia Yu
- The George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Mingzhe Li
- The George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - S Macrae Montgomery
- The George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Yuyang Song
- Toyota Research Institute of North America, Toyota Motor North America, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48105, USA
| | - Tsuyoshi Nomura
- Toyota Central R&D Laboratories, Inc., Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 112-0004, Japan
| | - Masato Tanaka
- Toyota Research Institute of North America, Toyota Motor North America, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48105, USA
| | - H Jerry Qi
- The George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA.
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26
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Sim J, Wu S, Dai J, Zhao RR. Magneto-Mechanical Bilayer Metamaterial with Global Area-Preserving Density Tunability for Acoustic Wave Regulation. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2023; 35:e2303541. [PMID: 37335806 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202303541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
2D metamaterials have immense potential in acoustics, optics, and electromagnetic applications due to their unique properties and ability to conform to curved substrates. Active metamaterials have attracted significant research attention because of their on-demand tunable properties and performances through shape reconfigurations. 2D active metamaterials often achieve active properties through internal structural deformations, which lead to changes in overall dimensions. This demands corresponding alterations of the conforming substrate, or the metamaterial fails to provide complete area coverage, which can be a significant limitation for their practical applications. To date, achieving area-preserving active 2D metamaterials with distinct shape reconfigurations remains a prominent challenge. In this paper, magneto-mechanical bilayer metamaterials are presented that demonstrate area density tunability with area-preserving capability. The bilayer metamaterials consist of two arrays of magnetic soft materials with distinct magnetization distributions. Under a magnetic field, each layer behaves differently, which allows the metamaterial to reconfigure its shape into multiple modes and to significantly tune its area density without changing its overall dimensions. The area-preserving multimodal shape reconfigurations are further exploited as active acoustic wave regulators to tune bandgaps and wave propagations. The bilayer approach thus provides a new concept for the design of area-preserving active metamaterials for broader applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jay Sim
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Shuai Wu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Jize Dai
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Ruike Renee Zhao
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
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27
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Masiero F, Sinibaldi E. Exact and Computationally Robust Solutions for Cylindrical Magnets Systems with Programmable Magnetization. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2301033. [PMID: 37460392 PMCID: PMC10477869 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202301033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023]
Abstract
Magnetic systems based on permanent magnets are receiving growing attention, in particular for micro/millirobotics and biomedical applications. Their design landscape is expanded by the possibility to program magnetization, yet enabling analytical results, crucial for containing computational costs, are lacking. The dipole approximation is systematically used (and often strained), because exact and computationally robust solutions are to be unveiled even for common geometries such as cylindrical magnets, which are ubiquitously used in fundamental research and applications. In this study, exact solutions are disclosed for magnetic field and gradient of a cylindrical magnet with generic uniform magnetization, which can be robustly computed everywhere within and outside the magnet, and directly extend to magnets systems of arbitrary complexity. Based on them, exact and computationally robust solutions are unveiled for force and torque between coaxial magnets. The obtained analytical solutions overstep the dipole approximation, thus filling a long-standing gap, and offer strong computational gains versus numerical simulations (up to 106 , for the considered test-cases). Moreover, they bridge to a variety of applications, as illustrated through a compact magnets array that could be used to advance state-of-the-art biomedical tools, by creating, based on programmable magnetization patterns, circumferential and helical force traps for magnetoresponsive diagnostic/therapeutic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Masiero
- Biorobotics InstituteScuola Superiore Sant'Annaviale Rinaldo Piaggio 34Pontedera56025Italy
- Department of Excellence in Robotics and AIScuola Superiore Sant'Annapiazza Martiri della Libertà 33Pisa56127Italy
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28
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Keeys NI, Patel DK, LeDuc P, Majidi C. Soft magnetic thin film deformation with a bistable electropermanent magnet. ENGINEERING RESEARCH EXPRESS 2023; 5:035071. [PMID: 37881479 PMCID: PMC10594592 DOI: 10.1088/2631-8695/acf2e8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
Physically soft magnetic materials (PSMMs) represent an emerging class of materials that can change shape or rheology in response to an external magnetic field. However, until now, no studies have investigated using an electropermanent magnet (EPM) and magnetic repulsion to magnetically deform PSMMs. Such capabilities would enable the ability to deform PSMMs without the need for continuous electrical input and produce PSMM film deformation without an air gap, as would be required with magnetic attraction. To address this, we introduce a PSMM-EPM architecture in which the shape of a soft deformable thin film is controlled by switching between bistable on/off states of the EPM circuit. We characterized the deflection of a PSMM thin film when placed at controlled distances normal to the surface of the EPM and compared its response for cases when the EPM is in the 'on' and 'off' states. This work is the first to demonstrate a magnetically repelled soft deformable thin film that achieves two electronically-controlled modes of deformation through the on and off states of an EPM. This work has the potential to advance the development of new magneto-responsive soft materials and systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nolen I. Keeys
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, United States of America
| | - Dinesh K. Patel
- Human-Computer Interaction Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, United States of America
| | - Philip LeDuc
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, United States of America
| | - Carmel Majidi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, United States of America
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29
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Wang D, Zhao B, Li X, Dong L, Zhang M, Zou J, Gu G. Dexterous electrical-driven soft robots with reconfigurable chiral-lattice foot design. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5067. [PMID: 37604806 PMCID: PMC10442442 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40626-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Dexterous locomotion, such as immediate direction change during fast movement or shape reconfiguration to perform diverse tasks, are essential animal survival strategies which have not been achieved in existing soft robots. Here, we present a kind of small-scale dexterous soft robot, consisting of an active dielectric elastomer artificial muscle and reconfigurable chiral-lattice foot, that enables immediate and reversible forward, backward and circular direction changes during fast movement under single voltage input. Our electric-driven soft robot with the structural design can be combined with smart materials to realize multimodal functions via shape reconfigurations under the external stimulus. We experimentally demonstrate that our dexterous soft robots can reach arbitrary points in a plane, form complex trajectories, or lower the height to pass through a narrow tunnel. The proposed structural design and shape reconfigurability may pave the way for next-generation autonomous soft robots with dexterous locomotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Mechanical System and Vibration, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200240, Shanghai, China.
- Meta Robotics Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200240, Shanghai, China.
| | - Baowen Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Mechanical System and Vibration, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200240, Shanghai, China
| | - Xinlei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Mechanical System and Vibration, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200240, Shanghai, China
| | - Le Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Mechanical System and Vibration, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200240, Shanghai, China
| | - Mengjie Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Mechanical System and Vibration, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200240, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiang Zou
- State Key Laboratory of Mechanical System and Vibration, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200240, Shanghai, China
| | - Guoying Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Mechanical System and Vibration, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200240, Shanghai, China.
- Meta Robotics Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200240, Shanghai, China.
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30
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Darmawan BA, Park JO, Go G, Choi E. Four-Dimensional-Printed Microrobots and Their Applications: A Review. MICROMACHINES 2023; 14:1607. [PMID: 37630143 PMCID: PMC10456732 DOI: 10.3390/mi14081607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
Owing to their small size, microrobots have many potential applications. In addition, four-dimensional (4D) printing facilitates reversible shape transformation over time or upon the application of stimuli. By combining the concept of microrobots and 4D printing, it may be possible to realize more sophisticated next-generation microrobot designs that can be actuated by applying various stimuli, and also demonstrates profound implications for various applications, including drug delivery, cells delivery, soft robotics, object release and others. Herein, recent advances in 4D-printed microrobots are reviewed, including strategies for facilitating shape transformations, diverse types of external stimuli, and medical and nonmedical applications of microrobots. Finally, to conclude the paper, the challenges and the prospects of 4D-printed microrobots are highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bobby Aditya Darmawan
- Korea Institute of Medical Microrobotics, 43-26, Cheomdangwagi-ro 208-beon-gil, Buk-gu, Gwangju 61011, Republic of Korea; (B.A.D.); (J.-O.P.)
| | - Jong-Oh Park
- Korea Institute of Medical Microrobotics, 43-26, Cheomdangwagi-ro 208-beon-gil, Buk-gu, Gwangju 61011, Republic of Korea; (B.A.D.); (J.-O.P.)
| | - Gwangjun Go
- Korea Institute of Medical Microrobotics, 43-26, Cheomdangwagi-ro 208-beon-gil, Buk-gu, Gwangju 61011, Republic of Korea; (B.A.D.); (J.-O.P.)
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Chosun University, 309 Pilmun-daero, Dong-gu, Gwangju 61452, Republic of Korea
| | - Eunpyo Choi
- Korea Institute of Medical Microrobotics, 43-26, Cheomdangwagi-ro 208-beon-gil, Buk-gu, Gwangju 61011, Republic of Korea; (B.A.D.); (J.-O.P.)
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Chonnam National University, 77 Yongbong-ro, Buk-gu, Gwangju 61186, Republic of Korea
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31
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Richter M, Sikorski J, Makushko P, Zabila Y, Venkiteswaran VK, Makarov D, Misra S. Locally Addressable Energy Efficient Actuation of Magnetic Soft Actuator Array Systems. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2302077. [PMID: 37330643 PMCID: PMC10460866 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202302077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 05/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Advances in magnetoresponsive composites and (electro-)magnetic actuators have led to development of magnetic soft machines (MSMs) as building blocks for small-scale robotic devices. Near-field MSMs offer energy efficiency and compactness by bringing the field source and effectors in close proximity. Current challenges of near-field MSM are limited programmability of effector motion, dimensionality, ability to perform collaborative tasks, and structural flexibility. Herein, a new class of near-field MSMs is demonstrated that combines microscale thickness flexible planar coils with magnetoresponsive polymer effectors. Ultrathin manufacturing and magnetic programming of effectors is used to tailor their response to the nonhomogeneous near-field distribution on the coil surface. The MSMs are demonstrated to lift, tilt, pull, or grasp in close proximity to each other. These ultrathin (80 µm) and lightweight (100 gm-2 ) MSMs can operate at high frequency (25 Hz) and low energy consumption (0.5 W), required for the use of MSMs in portable electronics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michiel Richter
- Surgical Robotics LaboratoryDepartment of Biomechanical EngineeringUniversity of TwenteDrienerlolaan 5Enschede7500 AEThe Netherlands
| | - Jakub Sikorski
- Surgical Robotics LaboratoryDepartment of Biomechanical EngineeringUniversity of TwenteDrienerlolaan 5Enschede7500 AEThe Netherlands
- Surgical Robotics LaboratoryDepartment of Biomedical EngineeringUniversity of Groningen and UniversityMedical Centre Groningen, Hanzeplein 1Groningen9713 GZThe Netherlands
| | - Pavlo Makushko
- Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research, Helmholtz‐Zentrum Dresden‐Rossendorf e.V.Bautzner, Landstraße 40001328DresdenGermany
| | - Yevhen Zabila
- Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research, Helmholtz‐Zentrum Dresden‐Rossendorf e.V.Bautzner, Landstraße 40001328DresdenGermany
- The H. Niewodniczanski Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of SciencesKrakow31‐342Poland
| | | | - Denys Makarov
- Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research, Helmholtz‐Zentrum Dresden‐Rossendorf e.V.Bautzner, Landstraße 40001328DresdenGermany
| | - Sarthak Misra
- Surgical Robotics LaboratoryDepartment of Biomechanical EngineeringUniversity of TwenteDrienerlolaan 5Enschede7500 AEThe Netherlands
- Surgical Robotics LaboratoryDepartment of Biomedical EngineeringUniversity of Groningen and UniversityMedical Centre Groningen, Hanzeplein 1Groningen9713 GZThe Netherlands
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32
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Johnson BK, Naris M, Sundaram V, Volchko A, Ly K, Mitchell SK, Acome E, Kellaris N, Keplinger C, Correll N, Humbert JS, Rentschler ME. A multifunctional soft robotic shape display with high-speed actuation, sensing, and control. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4516. [PMID: 37524731 PMCID: PMC10390478 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39842-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Shape displays which actively manipulate surface geometry are an expanding robotics domain with applications to haptics, manufacturing, aerodynamics, and more. However, existing displays often lack high-fidelity shape morphing, high-speed deformation, and embedded state sensing, limiting their potential uses. Here, we demonstrate a multifunctional soft shape display driven by a 10 × 10 array of scalable cellular units which combine high-speed electrohydraulic soft actuation, magnetic-based sensing, and control circuitry. We report high-performance reversible shape morphing up to 50 Hz, sensing of surface deformations with 0.1 mm sensitivity and external forces with 50 mN sensitivity in each cell, which we demonstrate across a multitude of applications including user interaction, image display, sensing of object mass, and dynamic manipulation of solids and liquids. This work showcases the rich multifunctionality and high-performance capabilities that arise from tightly-integrating large numbers of electrohydraulic actuators, soft sensors, and controllers at a previously undemonstrated scale in soft robotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- B K Johnson
- Paul M. Rady Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - M Naris
- Paul M. Rady Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - V Sundaram
- Paul M. Rady Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - A Volchko
- Paul M. Rady Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - K Ly
- Paul M. Rady Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - S K Mitchell
- Paul M. Rady Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
- Artimus Robotics, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - E Acome
- Paul M. Rady Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
- Artimus Robotics, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - N Kellaris
- Paul M. Rady Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
- Artimus Robotics, Boulder, CO, USA
- Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - C Keplinger
- Paul M. Rady Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA.
- Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA.
- Robotic Materials Department, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart, Germany.
| | - N Correll
- Department of Computer Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA.
| | - J S Humbert
- Paul M. Rady Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA.
| | - M E Rentschler
- Paul M. Rady Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA.
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33
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Soon RH, Yin Z, Dogan MA, Dogan NO, Tiryaki ME, Karacakol AC, Aydin A, Esmaeili-Dokht P, Sitti M. Pangolin-inspired untethered magnetic robot for on-demand biomedical heating applications. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3320. [PMID: 37339969 PMCID: PMC10282021 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38689-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Untethered magnetic miniature soft robots capable of accessing hard-to-reach regions can enable safe, disruptive, and minimally invasive medical procedures. However, the soft body limits the integration of non-magnetic external stimuli sources on the robot, thereby restricting the functionalities of such robots. One such functionality is localised heat generation, which requires solid metallic materials for increased efficiency. Yet, using these materials compromises the compliance and safety of using soft robots. To overcome these competing requirements, we propose a pangolin-inspired bi-layered soft robot design. We show that the reported design achieves heating > 70 °C at large distances > 5 cm within a short period of time <30 s, allowing users to realise on-demand localised heating in tandem with shape-morphing capabilities. We demonstrate advanced robotic functionalities, such as selective cargo release, in situ demagnetisation, hyperthermia and mitigation of bleeding, on tissue phantoms and ex vivo tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ren Hao Soon
- Physical Intelligence Department, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, ETH Zürich, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Zhen Yin
- Physical Intelligence Department, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany
- Department of Control Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- Frontiers Science Center for Intelligent Autonomous Systems, Shanghai, China
| | - Metin Alp Dogan
- Physical Intelligence Department, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Nihal Olcay Dogan
- Physical Intelligence Department, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, ETH Zürich, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Mehmet Efe Tiryaki
- Physical Intelligence Department, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, ETH Zürich, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Alp Can Karacakol
- Physical Intelligence Department, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Asli Aydin
- Physical Intelligence Department, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Pouria Esmaeili-Dokht
- Physical Intelligence Department, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Metin Sitti
- Physical Intelligence Department, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany.
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, ETH Zürich, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland.
- School of Medicine and College of Engineering, Koç University, 34450, Istanbul, Turkey.
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34
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Bai L, Zhang Y, Guo S, Qu H, Yu Z, Yu H, Chen W, Tan SC. Hygrothermic Wood Actuated Robotic Hand. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2023; 35:e2211437. [PMID: 36843238 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202211437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Stimulus-responsive actuators play a vital role in the new generation of intelligent systems. However, poor mechanical performance, complicated fabrication processes, and the inability to complex deformation limit their practical applications. Herein, these challenges are overcome via designing a strong hygrothermic wood actuator with asymmetric water affinity. The actuator is readily constructed by sandwiching polypyrrole-coated wood with a Ni complex hygroscopic gel top layer for moisture absorption and a polyimide bottom layer as the water barrier. The resulting hygrothermic wood spontaneously stretches and bends itself in response to moisture and thermal/light stimulation. A robotic hand and a series of grippers made of hygrothermic wood demonstrate dexterous object-hand interactions during grasping and holding, while the reversible hygrothermic property allows the actuator to be potentially applied in fire rescue scenarios to rescue trapped objects. A combination of good mechanical properties, multi-stimulus-response, complex deformation, wide working temperature range, low manufacturing cost, and biocompatibility are simultaneously realized by one device. It is thus believed that such a strong wood actuator will open up a new avenue for building intelligent robotic hand systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lulu Bai
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117575, Singapore
- Key Laboratory of Bio-based Material Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, P. R. China
| | - Yaoxin Zhang
- China-UK Low Carbon College, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 201306, P. R. China
| | - Shuai Guo
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117575, Singapore
| | - Hao Qu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117575, Singapore
| | - Zhen Yu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117575, Singapore
| | - Haipeng Yu
- Key Laboratory of Bio-based Material Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, P. R. China
| | - Wenshuai Chen
- Key Laboratory of Bio-based Material Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, P. R. China
| | - Swee Ching Tan
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117575, Singapore
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35
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Wang Y, Du X, Zhang H, Zou Q, Law J, Yu J. Amphibious Miniature Soft Jumping Robot with On-Demand In-Flight Maneuver. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2207493. [PMID: 37097734 PMCID: PMC10288233 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202207493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2022] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
In nature, some semiaquatic arthropods evolve biomechanics for jumping on the water surface with the controlled burst of kinetic energy. Emulating these creatures, miniature jumping robots deployable on the water surface have been developed, but few of them achieve the controllability comparable to biological systems. The limited controllability and agility of miniature robots constrain their applications, especially in the biomedical field where dexterous and precise manipulation is required. Herein, an insect-scale magnetoelastic robot with improved controllability is designed. The robot can adaptively regulate its energy output to generate controllable jumping motion by tuning magnetic and elastic strain energy. Dynamic and kinematic models are developed to predict the jumping trajectories of the robot. On-demand actuation can thus be applied to precisely control the pose and motion of the robot during the flight phase. The robot is also capable of making adaptive amphibious locomotion and performing various tasks with integrated functional modules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yibin Wang
- School of Science and EngineeringThe Chinese University of Hong Kong518172ShenzhenChina
- Shenzhen Institute of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics for Society518172ShenzhenChina
| | - Xingzhou Du
- School of Science and EngineeringThe Chinese University of Hong Kong518172ShenzhenChina
- Shenzhen Institute of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics for Society518172ShenzhenChina
| | - Huimin Zhang
- School of Science and EngineeringThe Chinese University of Hong Kong518172ShenzhenChina
- Shenzhen Institute of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics for Society518172ShenzhenChina
| | - Qian Zou
- School of Science and EngineeringThe Chinese University of Hong Kong518172ShenzhenChina
- Shenzhen Institute of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics for Society518172ShenzhenChina
| | - Junhui Law
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial EngineeringUniversity of TorontoTorontoON M5S 3G8Canada
| | - Jiangfan Yu
- School of Science and EngineeringThe Chinese University of Hong Kong518172ShenzhenChina
- Shenzhen Institute of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics for Society518172ShenzhenChina
- School of MedicineThe Chinese University of Hong Kong518172ShenzhenChina
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36
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Liao Z, Zoumhani O, Boutry CM. Recent Advances in Magnetic Polymer Composites for BioMEMS: A Review. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 16:ma16103802. [PMID: 37241429 DOI: 10.3390/ma16103802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The objective of this review is to investigate the potential of functionalized magnetic polymer composites for use in electromagnetic micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) for biomedical applications. The properties that make magnetic polymer composites particularly interesting for application in the biomedical field are their biocompatibility, their adjustable mechanical, chemical, and magnetic properties, as well as their manufacturing versatility, e.g., by 3D printing or by integration in cleanroom microfabrication processes, which makes them accessible for large-scale production to reach the general public. The review first examines recent advancements in magnetic polymer composites that possess unique features such as self-healing capabilities, shape-memory, and biodegradability. This analysis includes an exploration of the materials and fabrication processes involved in the production of these composites, as well as their potential applications. Subsequently, the review focuses on electromagnetic MEMS for biomedical applications (bioMEMS), including microactuators, micropumps, miniaturized drug delivery systems, microvalves, micromixers, and sensors. The analysis encompasses an examination of the materials and manufacturing processes involved and the specific fields of application for each of these biomedical MEMS devices. Finally, the review discusses missed opportunities and possible synergies in the development of next-generation composite materials and bioMEMS sensors and actuators based on magnetic polymer composites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengwei Liao
- Department of Microelectronics, Delft University of Technology, 2628 CD Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Oualid Zoumhani
- Department of Microelectronics, Delft University of Technology, 2628 CD Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Clementine M Boutry
- Department of Microelectronics, Delft University of Technology, 2628 CD Delft, The Netherlands
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37
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Liu Y, Lin G, Medina-Sánchez M, Guix M, Makarov D, Jin D. Responsive Magnetic Nanocomposites for Intelligent Shape-Morphing Microrobots. ACS NANO 2023; 17:8899-8917. [PMID: 37141496 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c01609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
With the development of advanced biomedical theragnosis and bioengineering tools, smart and soft responsive microstructures and nanostructures have emerged. These structures can transform their body shape on demand and convert external power into mechanical actions. Here, we survey the key advances in the design of responsive polymer-particle nanocomposites that led to the development of smart shape-morphing microscale robotic devices. We overview the technological roadmap of the field and highlight the emerging opportunities in programming magnetically responsive nanomaterials in polymeric matrixes, as magnetic materials offer a rich spectrum of properties that can be encoded with various magnetization information. The use of magnetic fields as a tether-free control can easily penetrate biological tissues. With the advances in nanotechnology and manufacturing techniques, microrobotic devices can be realized with the desired magnetic reconfigurability. We emphasize that future fabrication techniques will be the key to bridging the gaps between integrating sophisticated functionalities of nanoscale materials and reducing the complexity and footprints of microscale intelligent robots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Liu
- Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1068 Xueyuan Avenue, Shenzhen, 518055 Guangdong Province, P. R. China
| | - Gungun Lin
- Institute for Biomedical Materials and Devices, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, 15 Broadway, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Mariana Medina-Sánchez
- Micro- and NanoBiomedical Engineering Group (MNBE), Institute for Integrative Nanosciences, Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research (IFW), 01069 Dresden, Germany
- Chair of Micro- and NanoSystems, Center for Molecular Bioengineering (B CUBE), Dresden University of Technology, 01062 Dresden, Germany
| | - Maria Guix
- Universitat de Barcelona, Departament de Ciència dels Materials i Química Física, Institut de Química Teòrica i Computacional Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Denys Makarov
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf e.V., Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research, Bautzner Landstrasse 400, 01328 Dresden, Germany
| | - Dayong Jin
- Institute for Biomedical Materials and Devices, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, 15 Broadway, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
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38
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Wang Z, Zhang X, Wang Y, Fang Z, Jiang H, Yang Q, Zhu X, Liu M, Fan X, Kong J. Untethered Soft Microrobots with Adaptive Logic Gates. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2206662. [PMID: 36809583 PMCID: PMC10161047 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202206662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Integrating adaptative logic computation directly into soft microrobots is imperative for the next generation of intelligent soft microrobots as well as for the smart materials to move beyond stimulus-response relationships and toward the intelligent behaviors seen in biological systems. Acquiring adaptivity is coveted for soft microrobots that can adapt to implement different works and respond to different environments either passively or actively through human intervention like biological systems. Here, a novel and simple strategy for constructing untethered soft microrobots based on stimuli-responsive hydrogels that can switch logic gates according to the surrounding stimuli of environment is introduced. Different basic logic gates and combinational logic gates are integrated into a microrobot via a straightforward method. Importantly, two kinds of soft microrobots with adaptive logic gates are designed and fabricated, which can smartly switch logic operation between AND gate and OR gate under different surrounding environmental stimuli. Furthermore, a same magnetic microrobot with adaptive logic gate is used to capture and release the specified objects through the change of the surrounding environmental stimuli based on AND or OR logic gate. This work contributes an innovative strategy to integrate computation into small-scale untethered soft robots with adaptive logic gates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zichao Wang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Materials Physics and Chemistry in Extraordinary Conditions, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Science and Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710072, P. R. China
| | - Xuan Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Materials Physics and Chemistry in Extraordinary Conditions, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Science and Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710072, P. R. China
| | - Yang Wang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Materials Physics and Chemistry in Extraordinary Conditions, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Science and Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710072, P. R. China
| | - Ziyi Fang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Materials Physics and Chemistry in Extraordinary Conditions, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Science and Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710072, P. R. China
| | - He Jiang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Materials Physics and Chemistry in Extraordinary Conditions, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Science and Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710072, P. R. China
| | - Qinglin Yang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Materials Physics and Chemistry in Extraordinary Conditions, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Science and Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710072, P. R. China
| | - Xuefeng Zhu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Materials Physics and Chemistry in Extraordinary Conditions, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Science and Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710072, P. R. China
| | - Mingze Liu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Materials Physics and Chemistry in Extraordinary Conditions, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Science and Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710072, P. R. China
| | - Xiaodong Fan
- MOE Key Laboratory of Materials Physics and Chemistry in Extraordinary Conditions, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Science and Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710072, P. R. China
| | - Jie Kong
- MOE Key Laboratory of Materials Physics and Chemistry in Extraordinary Conditions, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Science and Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710072, P. R. China
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39
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Zhang T, Li G, Yang X, Ren H, Guo D, Wang H, Chan K, Ye Z, Zhao T, Zhang C, Shang W, Shen Y. A Fast Soft Continuum Catheter Robot Manufacturing Strategy Based on Heterogeneous Modular Magnetic Units. MICROMACHINES 2023; 14:mi14050911. [PMID: 37241535 DOI: 10.3390/mi14050911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Developing small-scale continuum catheter robots with inherent soft bodies and high adaptability to different environments holds great promise for biomedical engineering applications. However, current reports indicate that these robots meet challenges when it comes to quick and flexible fabrication with simpler processing components. Herein, we report a millimeter-scale magnetic-polymer-based modular continuum catheter robot (MMCCR) that is capable of performing multifarious bending through a fast and general modular fabrication strategy. By preprogramming the magnetization directions of two types of simple magnetic units, the assembled MMCCR with three discrete magnetic sections could be transformed from a single curvature pose with a large tender angle to a multicurvature S shape in the applied magnetic field. Through static and dynamic deformation analyses for MMCCRs, high adaptability to varied confined spaces can be predicted. By employing a bronchial tree phantom, the proposed MMCCRs demonstrated their capability to adaptively access different channels, even those with challenging geometries that require large bending angles and unique S-shaped contours. The proposed MMCCRs and the fabrication strategy shine new light on the design and development of magnetic continuum robots with versatile deformation styles, which would further enrich broad potential applications in biomedical engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tieshan Zhang
- The Robot and Automation Center and the Department of Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong 999077, China
- Shenzhen Research Institute, City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518057, China
- The Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Kowloon, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Gen Li
- The Robot and Automation Center and the Department of Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong 999077, China
- Shenzhen Research Institute, City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518057, China
- The Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Kowloon, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Xiong Yang
- The Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Kowloon, Hong Kong 999077, China
- Research Center on Smart Manufacturing, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Kowloon, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Hao Ren
- The Robot and Automation Center and the Department of Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong 999077, China
- Shenzhen Research Institute, City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518057, China
| | - Dong Guo
- The Robot and Automation Center and the Department of Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong 999077, China
- Shenzhen Research Institute, City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518057, China
| | - Hong Wang
- The Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Kowloon, Hong Kong 999077, China
- Research Center on Smart Manufacturing, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Kowloon, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Ki Chan
- Prince Philip Dental Hospital, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Zhou Ye
- Applied Oral Sciences and Community Dental Care, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Tianshuo Zhao
- The Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Chengfei Zhang
- Prince Philip Dental Hospital, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Wanfeng Shang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Robotics and Intelligent System, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Yajing Shen
- The Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Kowloon, Hong Kong 999077, China
- Research Center on Smart Manufacturing, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Kowloon, Hong Kong 999077, China
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40
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Abbasi A, Sano TG, Yan D, Reis PM. Snap buckling of bistable beams under combined mechanical and magnetic loading. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2023; 381:20220029. [PMID: 36774950 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2022.0029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
We investigate the mechanics of bistable, hard-magnetic, elastic beams, combining experiments, finite-element modelling (FEM) and a reduced-order theory. The beam is made of a hard magneto-rheological elastomer, comprising two segments with antiparallel magnetization along the centreline, and is set into a bistable curved configuration by imposing an end-to-end shortening. Reversible snapping is possible between these two stable states. First, we experimentally characterize the critical field strength for the onset of snapping, at different levels of end-to-end shortening. Second, we perform three-dimensional FEM simulations using the Riks method to analyse high-order deformation modes during snapping. Third, we develop a reduced-order centreline-based beam theory to rationalize the observed magneto-elastic response. The theory and simulations are validated against experiments, with an excellent quantitative agreement. Finally, we consider the case of combined magnetic loading and poking force, examining how the applied field affects the bistability and quantifying the maximum load-bearing capacity. Our work provides a set of predictive tools for the rational design of one-dimensional, bistable, magneto-elastic structural elements. This article is part of the theme issue 'Probing and dynamics of shock sensitive shells'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arefeh Abbasi
- Flexible Structures Laboratory, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| | - Tomohiko G Sano
- Flexible Structures Laboratory, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Keio University, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 2230061, Japan
| | - Dong Yan
- Flexible Structures Laboratory, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| | - Pedro M Reis
- Flexible Structures Laboratory, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
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41
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Zou B, Liang Z, Zhong D, Cui Z, Xiao K, Shao S, Ju J. Magneto-Thermomechanically Reprogrammable Mechanical Metamaterials. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2023; 35:e2207349. [PMID: 36385420 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202207349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Future active metamaterials for reconfigurable structural applications require fast, untethered, reversible, and reprogrammable (multimodal) transformability with shape locking. Magnetic control has a superior advantage for fast and remotely controlled deployment; however, a significant drawback is needed to maintain the magnetic force to hold the transformation, limiting its use in structural applications. The shape-locking property of shape-memory polymers (SMPs) can resolve this issue. However, the intrinsic irreversibility of SMPs may limit their reconfigurability as active metamaterials. Moreover, to date, reprogrammable methods have required high power with laser and arc welding proving to be energy-inefficient control methods. In this work, a magneto-thermomechanical tool is constructed and demonstrated, which enables a single material system to transform with untethered, reversible, low-powered reprogrammable deformations, and shape locking via the application of magneto-thermomechanically triggered prestress on the SMP and structural instability with asymmetric magnetic torque. The mutual assistance of two physics concepts-magnetic control combined with the thermomechanical behavior of SMPs is demonstrated, without requiring new materials synthesis and high-power energy for reprogramming. This approach can open a new path of active metamaterials, flexible yet stiff soft robots, multimodal morphing structures, and mechanical computing devices where it can be designed in reversible and reprogrammable ways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bihui Zou
- UM-SJTU Joint Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Zihe Liang
- UM-SJTU Joint Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Dijia Zhong
- UM-SJTU Joint Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Zhiming Cui
- UM-SJTU Joint Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Kai Xiao
- UM-SJTU Joint Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Shuang Shao
- UM-SJTU Joint Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Jaehyung Ju
- UM-SJTU Joint Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200240, China
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42
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Zhang Y, Wu X, Vadlamani RA, Lim Y, Kim J, David K, Gilbert E, Li Y, Wang R, Jiang S, Wang A, Sontheimer H, English D, Emori S, Davalos RV, Poelzing S, Jia X. Multifunctional ferromagnetic fiber robots for navigation, sensing, and treatment in minimally invasive surgery. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.27.525973. [PMID: 36778450 PMCID: PMC9915472 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.27.525973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Small-scale robots capable of remote active steering and navigation offer great potential for biomedical applications. However, the current design and manufacturing procedure impede their miniaturization and integration of various diagnostic and therapeutic functionalities. Here, we present a robotic fiber platform for integrating navigation, sensing, and therapeutic functions at a submillimeter scale. These fiber robots consist of ferromagnetic, electrical, optical, and microfluidic components, fabricated with a thermal drawing process. Under magnetic actuation, they can navigate through complex and constrained environments, such as artificial vessels and brain phantoms. Moreover, we utilize Langendorff mouse hearts model, glioblastoma microplatforms, and in vivo mouse models to demonstrate the capabilities of sensing electrophysiology signals and performing localized treatment. Additionally, we demonstrate that the fiber robots can serve as endoscopes with embedded waveguides. These fiber robots provide a versatile platform for targeted multimodal detection and treatment at hard-to-reach locations in a minimally invasive and remotely controllable manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujing Zhang
- The Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
| | - Xiaobo Wu
- Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health Graduate Program, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA
- Center for Heart and Reparative Medicine Research, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, VA
| | - Ram Anand Vadlamani
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
| | - Youngmin Lim
- Department of Physics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
| | - Jongwoon Kim
- The Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
| | - Kailee David
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
| | - Earl Gilbert
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
| | - You Li
- The Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
| | - Ruixuan Wang
- The Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
| | - Shan Jiang
- The Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
| | - Anbo Wang
- The Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
| | - Harald Sontheimer
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA
| | | | - Satoru Emori
- Department of Physics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
| | - Rafael V Davalos
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
| | - Steven Poelzing
- Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health Graduate Program, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA
- Center for Heart and Reparative Medicine Research, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, VA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
| | - Xiaoting Jia
- The Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
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43
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Self-vectoring electromagnetic soft robots with high operational dimensionality. Nat Commun 2023; 14:182. [PMID: 36635282 PMCID: PMC9837125 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-35848-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Soft robots capable of flexible deformations and agile locomotion similar to biological systems are highly desirable for promising applications, including safe human-robot interactions and biomedical engineering. Their achievable degree of freedom and motional deftness are limited by the actuation modes and controllable dimensions of constituent soft actuators. Here, we report self-vectoring electromagnetic soft robots (SESRs) to offer new operational dimensionality via actively and instantly adjusting and synthesizing the interior electromagnetic vectors (EVs) in every flux actuator sub-domain of the robots. As a result, we can achieve high-dimensional operation with fewer actuators and control signals than other actuation methods. We also demonstrate complex and rapid 3D shape morphing, bioinspired multimodal locomotion, as well as fast switches among different locomotion modes all in passive magnetic fields. The intrinsic fast (re)programmability of SESRs, along with the active and selective actuation through self-vectoring control, significantly increases the operational dimensionality and possibilities for soft robots.
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44
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Lim S, Du Y, Lee Y, Panda SK, Tong D, Khalid Jawed M. Fabrication, control, and modeling of robots inspired by flagella and cilia. BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2022; 18:011003. [PMID: 36533860 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/aca63d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Flagella and cilia are slender structures that serve important functionalities in the microscopic world through their locomotion induced by fluid and structure interaction. With recent developments in microscopy, fabrication, biology, and modeling capability, robots inspired by the locomotion of these organelles in low Reynolds number flow have been manufactured and tested on the micro-and macro-scale, ranging from medicalin vivomicrobots, microfluidics to macro prototypes. We present a collection of modeling theories, control principles, and fabrication methods for flagellated and ciliary robots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sangmin Lim
- Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Westwood Plaza, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States of America
| | - Yayun Du
- Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Westwood Plaza, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States of America
| | - Yongkyu Lee
- Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Westwood Plaza, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States of America
| | - Shivam Kumar Panda
- Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Westwood Plaza, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States of America
| | - Dezhong Tong
- Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Westwood Plaza, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States of America
| | - M Khalid Jawed
- Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Westwood Plaza, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States of America
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45
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Kaya K, Iseri E, van der Wijngaart W. Soft metamaterial with programmable ferromagnetism. MICROSYSTEMS & NANOENGINEERING 2022; 8:127. [PMID: 36483621 PMCID: PMC9722694 DOI: 10.1038/s41378-022-00463-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 09/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Magnetopolymers are of interest in smart material applications; however, changing their magnetic properties post synthesis is complicated. In this study, we introduce easily programmable polymer magnetic composites comprising 2D lattices of droplets of solid-liquid phase change material, with each droplet containing a single magnetic dipole particle. These composites are ferromagnetic with a Curie temperature defined by the rotational freedom of the particles above the droplet melting point. We demonstrate magnetopolymers combining high remanence characteristics with Curie temperatures below the composite degradation temperature. We easily reprogram the material between four states: (1) a superparamagnetic state above the melting point which, in the absence of an external magnetic field, spontaneously collapses to; (2) an artificial spin ice state, which after cooling forms either; (3) a spin glass state with low bulk remanence, or; (4) a ferromagnetic state with high bulk remanence when cooled in the presence of an external magnetic field. We observe the spontaneous emergence of 2D magnetic vortices in the spin ice and elucidate the correlation of these vortex structures with the external bulk remanence. We also demonstrate the easy programming of magnetically latching structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerem Kaya
- Division of Micro and Nanosystems, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, 100 44 Sweden
| | - Emre Iseri
- Division of Micro and Nanosystems, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, 100 44 Sweden
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Emerging 4D printing strategies for on-demand local actuation & micro printing of soft materials. Eur Polym J 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2022.111778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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Bacchetti A, Lloyd P, Taccola S, Fakhoury E, Cochran S, Harris RA, Valdastri P, Chandler JH. Optimization and fabrication of programmable domains for soft magnetic robots: A review. Front Robot AI 2022; 9:1040984. [PMID: 36504496 PMCID: PMC9729867 DOI: 10.3389/frobt.2022.1040984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Driven by the aim of realizing functional robotic systems at the milli- and submillimetre scale for biomedical applications, the area of magnetically driven soft devices has received significant recent attention. This has resulted in a new generation of magnetically controlled soft robots with patterns of embedded, programmable domains throughout their structures. This type of programmable magnetic profiling equips magnetic soft robots with shape programmable memory and can be achieved through the distribution of discrete domains (voxels) with variable magnetic densities and magnetization directions. This approach has produced highly compliant, and often bio-inspired structures that are well suited to biomedical applications at small scales, including microfluidic transport and shape-forming surgical catheters. However, to unlock the full potential of magnetic soft robots with improved designs and control, significant challenges remain in their compositional optimization and fabrication. This review considers recent advances and challenges in the interlinked optimization and fabrication aspects of programmable domains within magnetic soft robots. Through a combination of improvements in the computational capacity of novel optimization methods with advances in the resolution, material selection and automation of existing and novel fabrication methods, significant further developments in programmable magnetic soft robots may be realized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alistair Bacchetti
- Centre for Medical and Industrial Ultrasonics, James Watt School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom,Science and Technologies of Robotics in Medicine Laboratory, School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Peter Lloyd
- Science and Technologies of Robotics in Medicine Laboratory, School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Silvia Taccola
- Future Manufacturing Processes Research Group, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Evan Fakhoury
- Industrial and Mechanical Engineering Department, Lebanese American University, Byblos, Lebanon
| | - Sandy Cochran
- Centre for Medical and Industrial Ultrasonics, James Watt School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Russell A. Harris
- Future Manufacturing Processes Research Group, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Pietro Valdastri
- Science and Technologies of Robotics in Medicine Laboratory, School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - James H. Chandler
- Science and Technologies of Robotics in Medicine Laboratory, School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom,*Correspondence: James H. Chandler,
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Li L, Xin C, Hu Y, Li R, Li C, Zhang Y, Dai N, Xu L, Zhang L, Wang D, Wu D, Liao C, Wang Y. On-Demand Maneuver of Millirobots with Reprogrammable Motility by a Hard-Magnetic Coating. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:52370-52378. [PMID: 36349689 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c14180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Millirobots that can be actuated and accurately steered by external magnetic fields, are highly desirable for bioengineering and wearable devices. However, existing designs of millirobots are limited by their specific material composition, hindering their wider application due to a lack of scalability. Here, we present a method for the generation of heterogeneous magnetic millirobots based on magnetic coatings. The coatings, composed of hard-magnetic CrO2 particles dispersed in an adhesive solution, impart magnetic actuation to diverse substrates with planar sheets or 3D structures. Millirobots constructed from the coatings can be readily reprogrammed with intricate magnetization profiles using laser localized heating, enabling reconfigurable shape changes under magnetic actuation. Using this approach, we demonstrate on-demand maneuvering capability of reconfiguring locomotion involving crawling, overturning and rolling with a single millirobot. Various functions, including the ability to catch a fast-moving ball, object transportation, and targeted assembly, have been achieved. This adhesive strategy facilitates the design of millirobots and may open avenues to the creation of complex millirobots for broad applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Longfu Li
- Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education/GuangDong Province, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Photonic Devices and Sensing Systems for Internet of Things, Guangdong and Hong Kong Joint Research Centre for Optical Fibre Sensors, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Chen Xin
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mechanical Behavior and Design of Materials, Key Laboratory of Precision Scientific Instrumentation of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Department of Precision Machinery and Precision Instrumentation, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Yanlei Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mechanical Behavior and Design of Materials, Key Laboratory of Precision Scientific Instrumentation of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Department of Precision Machinery and Precision Instrumentation, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Rui Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mechanical Behavior and Design of Materials, Key Laboratory of Precision Scientific Instrumentation of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Department of Precision Machinery and Precision Instrumentation, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Chuanzong Li
- School of Computer and Information Engineering, Fuyang Normal University, Fuyang 236037, China
| | - Yachao Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mechanical Behavior and Design of Materials, Key Laboratory of Precision Scientific Instrumentation of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Department of Precision Machinery and Precision Instrumentation, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Nianwei Dai
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mechanical Behavior and Design of Materials, Key Laboratory of Precision Scientific Instrumentation of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Department of Precision Machinery and Precision Instrumentation, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Liqun Xu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mechanical Behavior and Design of Materials, Key Laboratory of Precision Scientific Instrumentation of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Department of Precision Machinery and Precision Instrumentation, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Leran Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mechanical Behavior and Design of Materials, Key Laboratory of Precision Scientific Instrumentation of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Department of Precision Machinery and Precision Instrumentation, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Dawei Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mechanical Behavior and Design of Materials, Key Laboratory of Precision Scientific Instrumentation of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Department of Precision Machinery and Precision Instrumentation, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Dong Wu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mechanical Behavior and Design of Materials, Key Laboratory of Precision Scientific Instrumentation of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Department of Precision Machinery and Precision Instrumentation, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Changrui Liao
- Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education/GuangDong Province, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Photonic Devices and Sensing Systems for Internet of Things, Guangdong and Hong Kong Joint Research Centre for Optical Fibre Sensors, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Yiping Wang
- Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education/GuangDong Province, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Photonic Devices and Sensing Systems for Internet of Things, Guangdong and Hong Kong Joint Research Centre for Optical Fibre Sensors, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
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3D Printing of PLA/Magnetic Ferrite Composites: Effect of Filler Particles on Magnetic Properties of Filament. Processes (Basel) 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/pr10112412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Three-dimensional printing is one of the most promising areas of additive manufacturing with a constantly growing range of applications. One of the current tasks is the development of new functional materials that would allow the manufacture of objects with defined magnetic, electrical, and other properties. In this work, composite magnetic filaments for 3D printing with tunable magnetic properties were produced from polylactic acid thermoplastic polymer with the addition of magnetic ferrite particles of different size and chemical composition. The used magnetic particles were cobalt ferrite CoFe2O4 nanoparticles, a mixture of CoFe2O4 and zinc-substituted cobalt ferrite Zn0.3Co0.7Fe2O4 nanoparticles (~20 nm), and barium hexaferrite BaFe12O19 microparticles (<40 µm). The maximum coercivity field HC = 1.6 ± 0.1 kOe was found for the filament sample with the inclusion of 5 wt.% barium hexaferrite microparticles, and the minimum HC was for a filament with a mixture of cobalt and zinc–cobalt spinel ferrites. Capabilities of the FDM 3D printing method to produce parts having simple (ring) and complex geometric shapes (honeycomb structures) with the magnetic composite filament were demonstrated.
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Zhao R, Dai H, Yao H, Shi Y, Zhou G. Shape programmable magnetic pixel soft robot. Heliyon 2022; 8:e11415. [DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e11415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
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