scholarly journals Self-contained soft electrofluidic actuators

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (34) ◽  
pp. eabf8080
Author(s):  
Wei Tang ◽  
Yangqiao Lin ◽  
Chao Zhang ◽  
Yuwen Liang ◽  
Jinrong Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Flow ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Mechanical Energy ◽  
Artificial Muscle ◽  
Electrical Energy ◽  
Soft Robotics ◽  
Muscle Stretching ◽  
Effective Performance ◽  
Potential Applications ◽  
Soft Actuators

Soft robotics revolutionized human-robot interactions, yet there exist persistent challenges for developing high-performance soft actuators that are powerful, rapid, controllable, safe, and portable. Here, we introduce a class of self-contained soft electrofluidic actuators (SEFAs), which can directly convert electrical energy into the mechanical energy of the actuators through electrically responsive fluids that drive the outside elastomer deformation. The use of special dielectric liquid enhances fluid flow capabilities, improving the actuation performance of the SEFAs. SEFAs are easily manufactured by using widely available materials and common fabrication techniques, and display excellent comprehensive performances in portability, controllability, rapid response, versatility, safety, and actuation. An artificial muscle stretching a joint and a soft bionic ray swimming in a tank demonstrate their effective performance. Hence, SEFAs offer a platform for developing soft actuators with potential applications in wearable assistant devices and soft robots.

scholarly journals An Overview of Novel Actuators for Soft Robotics

Actuators ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pinar Boyraz ◽  
Gundula Runge ◽  
Annika Raatz
Keyword(s):  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Performance Criteria ◽  
Soft Robotics ◽  
Magnetic Actuators ◽  
Technological Readiness ◽  
Potential Applications ◽  
Readiness Level ◽  
Comprehensive Comparison ◽  
Electro Magnetic ◽  
Soft Actuators

In this systematic survey, an overview of non-conventional actuators particularly used in soft-robotics is presented. The review is performed by using well-defined performance criteria with a direction to identify the exemplary and potential applications. In addition to this, initial guidelines to compare the performance and applicability of these novel actuators are provided. The meta-analysis is restricted to five main types of actuators: shape memory alloys (SMAs), fluidic elastomer actuators (FEAs), shape morphing polymers (SMPs), dielectric electro-activated polymers (DEAPs), and magnetic/electro-magnetic actuators (E/MAs). In exploring and comparing the capabilities of these actuators, the focus was on eight different aspects: compliance, topology-geometry, scalability-complexity, energy efficiency, operation range, modality, controllability, and technological readiness level (TRL). The overview presented here provides a state-of-the-art summary of the advancements and can help researchers to select the most convenient soft actuators using the comprehensive comparison of the suggested quantitative and qualitative criteria.

Aided manufacturing techniques and applications in optics and manipulation for ionic polymer-metal composites as soft sensors and actuators

2015 ◽  
Vol 35 (7) ◽  
pp. 611-626 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanjie Wang ◽  
Hualing Chen ◽  
Jiayu Liu ◽  
Zicai Zhu ◽  
Longfei Chang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Energy ◽  
Electrical Energy ◽  
General Mechanism ◽  
Sensors And Actuators ◽  
Metal Composites ◽  
Ionic Polymer Metal Composites ◽  
Ionic Polymer ◽  
Polymer Metal ◽  
Manufacturing Techniques ◽  
Soft Actuators

Abstract Recently, ionic polymer-metal composites (IPMCs), which are becoming an increasingly popular material, have been used as soft actuators because of their inherent properties of light weight, flexibility, softness, especially efficient transformation from electrical energy to mechanical energy with large bending strain response under low activation voltage. This paper mainly focuses on a review on optical and micromanipulation applications of IPMCs as soft actuators. After presenting the general mechanism of sensing and actuating in IPMCs, recent progresses are discussed about the preparation process and practical technologies, especially for aided manufacturing techniques defined as the methods to fabricate IPMC into all kinds of shapes in terms of the demands, which are reviewed for the first time. Then, a number of recent IPMC applications for optical actuators, grippers and catheters are reviewed and investigated in this paper. Further developments and suggestions for IPMCs are also discussed. Extensive previous researches are provided for references in detail.

scholarly journals Dielectric Elastomer Grippers

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 33-36
Author(s):  
Mills Patel ◽  
Rudrax Khamar ◽  
Akshat Shah ◽  
Tej shah ◽  
Bhavik Soneji
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Power Generation ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Artificial Muscle ◽  
Dielectric Elastomer ◽  
Soft Robotics ◽  
Artificial Muscles ◽  
Dielectric Elastomer Actuators ◽  
Working Principle ◽  
Soft Actuators

This paper appraisals state-of-the-art dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) and their forthcoming standpoints as soft actuators which have freshly been considered as a crucial power generation module for soft robots. DEs behave as yielding capacitors, expanding in area and attenuation in thickness when a voltage is applied. The paper initiates with the explanation of working principle of dielectric elastomer grippers. Here the operation of DEAs include both physics and mechanical properties with its characteristics, we have describe methods for modelling and its introductory application. In inclusion, the artificial muscle based on DEA concept is also formally presented. This paper also elaborates DEAs popular application such as- Soft Robotics, Robotics grippers and artificial muscles.

Hydraulically amplified self-healing electrostatic actuators with muscle-like performance

Science ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 359 (6371) ◽  
pp. 61-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Acome ◽  
S. K. Mitchell ◽  
T. G. Morrissey ◽  
M. B. Emmett ◽  
C. Benjamin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Dielectric Breakdown ◽  
Artificial Muscle ◽  
Robotic Arm ◽  
Soft Robotics ◽  
Self Healing ◽  
Electrostatic Actuators ◽  
Robotic Devices ◽  
Soft Actuators ◽  
Wide Potential

Existing soft actuators have persistent challenges that restrain the potential of soft robotics, highlighting a need for soft transducers that are powerful, high-speed, efficient, and robust. We describe a class of soft actuators, termed hydraulically amplified self-healing electrostatic (HASEL) actuators, which harness a mechanism that couples electrostatic and hydraulic forces to achieve a variety of actuation modes. We introduce prototypical designs of HASEL actuators and demonstrate their robust, muscle-like performance as well as their ability to repeatedly self-heal after dielectric breakdown—all using widely available materials and common fabrication techniques. A soft gripper handling delicate objects and a self-sensing artificial muscle powering a robotic arm illustrate the wide potential of HASEL actuators for next-generation soft robotic devices.

scholarly journals Ethanol Biofuel Cells: Hybrid Catalytic Cascades as a Tool for Biosensor Devices

Biosensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 41
Author(s):  
Jefferson Honorio Franco ◽  
Shelley D. Minteer ◽  
Adalgisa R. De Andrade
Keyword(s):  
Alternative Energy ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Electronic Conductivity ◽  
Analytical Techniques ◽  
Electrical Energy ◽  
Biofuel Cells ◽  
Enzymatic Biofuel Cells ◽  
External Power Source ◽  
Potential Applications ◽  
Self Powered

Biofuel cells use chemical reactions and biological catalysts (enzymes or microorganisms) to produce electrical energy, providing clean and renewable energy. Enzymatic biofuel cells (EBFCs) have promising characteristics and potential applications as an alternative energy source for low-power electronic devices. Over the last decade, researchers have focused on enhancing the electrocatalytic activity of biosystems and on increasing energy generation and electronic conductivity. Self-powered biosensors can use EBFCs while eliminating the need for an external power source. This review details improvements in EBFC and catalyst arrangements that will help to achieve complete substrate oxidation and to increase the number of collected electrons. It also describes how analytical techniques can be employed to follow the intermediates between the enzymes within the enzymatic cascade. We aim to demonstrate how a high-performance self-powered sensor design based on EBFCs developed for ethanol detection can be adapted and implemented in power devices for biosensing applications.

Electrical Energy Injection using Hybrid SECE for High Performance Nonlinear Mechanical Energy Harvesting

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jatin Sharma ◽  
Pratibha Verma ◽  
Dhiman Mallick ◽  
Ankesh Jain
Keyword(s):  
Energy Harvesting ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Mechanical Energy ◽  
Electrical Energy ◽  
Nonlinear Mechanical

scholarly journals Monolithic shape-programmable dielectric liquid crystal elastomer actuators

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (11) ◽  
pp. eaay0855 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zoey S. Davidson ◽  
Hamed Shahsavan ◽  
Amirreza Aghakhani ◽  
Yubing Guo ◽  
Lindsey Hines ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Liquid Crystal ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Degrees Of Freedom ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Elastic Anisotropy ◽  
Active Material ◽  
Soft Robotics ◽  
Liquid Crystal Elastomer ◽  
Liquid Crystal Elastomers ◽  
Soft Actuators

Soft robotics may enable many new technologies in which humans and robots physically interact, yet the necessary high-performance soft actuators still do not exist. The optimal soft actuators need to be fast and forceful and have programmable shape changes. Furthermore, they should be energy efficient for untethered applications and easy to fabricate. Here, we combine desirable characteristics from two distinct active material systems: fast and highly efficient actuation from dielectric elastomers and directed shape programmability from liquid crystal elastomers. Via a top-down photoalignment method, we program molecular alignment and localized giant elastic anisotropy into the liquid crystal elastomers. The linearly actuated liquid crystal elastomer monoliths achieve strain rates over 120% per second with an energy conversion efficiency of 20% while moving loads over 700 times the elastomer weight. The electric actuation mechanism offers unprecedented opportunities toward miniaturization with shape programmability, efficiency, and more degrees of freedom for applications in soft robotics and beyond.

scholarly journals Visible-light-assisted multimechanism design for one-step engineering tough hydrogels in seconds

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cong Wang ◽  
Ping Zhang ◽  
Wenqing Xiao ◽  
Jiaqi Zhao ◽  
Mengting Shi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Flexible Electronics ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Mechanical Energy ◽  
Industrial Applications ◽  
Large Strains ◽  
Single Pair ◽  
General Strategy ◽  
Potential Applications ◽  
Long Time ◽  
One Step

Abstract Tough hydrogels that are capable of efficient mechanical energy dissipation and withstanding large strains have potential applications in diverse areas. However, most reported fabrication strategies are performed in multiple steps with long-time UV irradiation or heating at high temperatures, limiting their biological and industrial applications. Hydrogels formed with a single pair of mechanisms are unstable in harsh conditions. Here we report a one-step, biocompatible, straightforward and general strategy to prepare tough soft hydrogels in a few tens of seconds under mild conditions. With a multimechanism design, the network structures remarkably improve the mechanical properties of hydrogels and maintain their high toughness in various environments. The broad compatibility of the proposed method with a spectrum of printing technologies makes it suitable for potential applications requiring high-resolution patterns/structures. This strategy opens horizons to inspire the design and application of high-performance hydrogels in fields of material chemistry, tissue engineering, and flexible electronics.

scholarly journals Structural and Chemical Modifications Towards High-Performance of Triboelectric Nanogenerators

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yerzhan Nurmakanov ◽  
Gulnur Kalimuldina ◽  
Galymzhan Nauryzbayev ◽  
Desmond Adair ◽  
Zhumabay Bakenov
Keyword(s):  
Energy Harvesting ◽  
Output Power ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Performance Enhancement ◽  
Material Selection ◽  
Mechanical Energy ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Potential Applications ◽  
Self Powered ◽  
Triboelectric Nanogenerators

Abstract Harvesting abundant mechanical energy has been considered one of the promising technologies for developing autonomous self-powered active sensors, power units, and Internet-of-Things devices. Among various energy harvesting technologies, the triboelectric harvesters based on contact electrification have recently attracted much attention because of their advantages such as high performance, light weight, and simple design. Since the first triboelectric energy-harvesting device was reported, the continuous investigations for improving the output power have been carried out. This review article covers various methods proposed for the performance enhancement of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs), such as a triboelectric material selection, surface modification through the introduction of micro-/nano-patterns, and surface chemical functionalization, injecting charges, and their trapping. The main purpose of this work is to highlight and summarize recent advancements towards enhancing the TENG technology performance through implementing different approaches along with their potential applications. Graphic Abstract This paper presents a comprehensive review of the TENG technology and its factors affecting the output power as material selection, surface physical and chemical modification, charge injection, and trapping techniques.

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