A Soft Transporter Robot Fueled by Light

Abstract

Mobile organisms with ability for locomotion and transportation, such as humans and other animals, utilize orchestrated actuation to perform actions. Mimicking these functionalities in synthetic, light‐responsive untethered soft‐bodied devices remains a challenge. Inspired by multitasking and mobile biological systems, an untethered soft transporter robot with controlled multidirectional locomotion with the ability of picking up, transporting, and delivering cargo driven entirely by blue light is created. The soft robot design is an ensemble of light‐responsive liquid crystalline polymers that can harness motion either collectively or individually to obtain a high degree of motion control for the execution of advanced tasks in a dry environment. Through orchestrated motion of the device's “legs”, single displacement strides, which exceed 4 mm and can be taken in any direction, allow for locomotion around objects. Untethered cargo transportation is demonstrated by a pickup and release mechanism using the device's “arms”. This strategy demonstrates the constructive harnessing of orchestrated motion in assemblies of established actuators, performing complex functions, mimicking constructive behavior seen in nature.

Light Tracking and Light Guiding Fiber Arrays by Adjusting the Location of Photoresponsive Azobenzene in Liquid Crystal Networks

“…Tether-free actuation is of importance for developing soft robotics, microfluidic devices, responsive surfaces, and advanced optical materials. [1][2][3] Among various external energy sources, photon energy provides a promising and versatile platform to construct untethered actuators featured with a high degree of flexibility, accuracy, and programmability. [4][5][6] Heliotropism, the motion of flowers or leaves in response to the position of the sun to maximize energy harvesting, provides inspiration for researchers for the development of light responsive materials and optical light guiding elements.…”

Bioinspired light-driven soft robots based on liquid crystal polymers

“…(D) A soft transporter robot capable of moving in multiple directions as well as picking up, transporting and delivering cargo in dry environment. Reproduced with permission, 49 Copyright 2018, Wiley VCH.…”

“…8D. 49 The device is composed of multiple splay aligned LCP films and utilizes rapid photothermal response to cause unbending of its independent segments. An illumination sequence of four steps is used to complete stride in any direction.…”

Desynchronized Liquid Crystalline Network Actuators with Deformation Reversal Capability

“…By adjusting the alignment of mesogens and/or the distribution of crosslinking domains, monolithic LCNs can display a wide range of predesignated deformations, including those based on contraction/extension, bending, twisting and their various possible combinations [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19] . Accordingly, a myriad of complex shapes (e.g., wave, accordion, helix, saddle shapes, periodical patterns and 3D pro les of Gaussian curvatures) [20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29] as well as robotic and bionic motions (e.g., gripping, rolling, walking, swimming and oscillating) [30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40] have been achieved, making the eld ourish. Up to date, the reversible shape change of LCNs only involves two shapes corresponding to the isotropic state (disordered state) and the LC phase (ordered state), respectively.…”