Light‐Driven, Caterpillar‐Inspired Miniature Inching Robot

Zeng, Hao; Wani, Owies M.; Wasylczyk, Piotr; Priimägi, Arri

doi:10.1002/marc.201700224

Cited by 206 publications

(219 citation statements)

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“…For example, shape-persistent actuators based on trans-cis isomerization of fluorinated azobenzene crosslinkers yield bistable actuators, [41] while photothermal actuators are the preferred approach when developing high-frequency, light-driven photomechanical oscillators [42] and miniature robots. [15,40] Both mixtures A and B are adaptable to photoalignment with the laser projector, and we applied four kinds of alignment patterns to demonstrate different actuation possibilities. All the actuators are of 50 µm thickness, unless otherwise stated.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[12][13][14] LCNs combine the anisotropy of the constituent liquid-crystal (LC) molecules and the elasticity of polymer networks, and are capable of stimuli-responsive shape change at the macroscopic scale. LCNs can be actuated by various stimuli such as light, [15] heat, [16] solvent, [17] and humidity. [18] Being a clean, remote, and precisely controllable stimulus, light is a particularly attractive energy source.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Programming Photoresponse in Liquid Crystal Polymer Actuators with Laser Projector

Wani

Zeng

Wasylczyk

et al. 2017

Advanced Optical Materials

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have emerged as promising materials for fabricating soft actuators. [12][13][14] LCNs combine the anisotropy of the constituent liquid-crystal (LC) molecules and the elasticity of polymer networks, and are capable of stimuli-responsive shape change at the macroscopic scale. LCNs can be actuated by various stimuli such as light, [15] heat, [16] solvent, [17] and humidity. [18] Being a clean, remote, and precisely controllable stimulus, light is a particularly attractive energy source. [19] The light-triggered deformation of an LCN actuator is governed by the alignment distribution of the constituent liquid-crystal molecules within the polymer network, and developing methods for precise control over the director distribution in order to obtain desired photoactuation mode is an important topic of research. [14,[20][21][22] Photoalignment has proven to be a successful technique in patterning complex alignments into liquid-crystalline materials [23][24][25] and in devising on-demand actuations into LCNs. [21] The technique is based on illuminating a thin photoresponsive layer, a "command surface," [26] with linearly polarized light. Upon illumination, the photoalignment layer becomes anisotropic, thereby changing the boundary conditions experienced by the liquid-crystal molecules in the vicinity, and forcing them to align either perpendicular [27] or parallel [28] to the light polarization. Photopatterning of director orientation can be achieved by spatially modulating the light polarization, [27] or exposure through mask(s). [28,29] White and co-workers have used a laser setup to raster scan a focussed laser beam with controlled polarization across the sample, and thus achieved local control in the director distribution. [30][31][32] Also spatial light modulators and digital micromirror devices have been used for high-throughput patterning. [17,[33][34][35] These demonstrations require either prepatterned masks or relatively complex optical set-ups for programming the desired director distribution.Herein, we use a laser projector with a microelectromechanical system (MEMS)-based scanning mirror assembly (PICO, Sony) to program the liquid-crystal alignment within a monolithic LCN film. Photopatterning is achieved by projecting an arbitrary computer-generated image onto the photoalignment layer, using predefined light polarization. The projector is capable of addressing a minimum feature size of 50 µm over an area of 25 × 14 mm 2 . A series of complex photoactuators, such as defect buckling, coiling strip with gradient in pitch, four-arm gripper, and bidirectional bending in an octopod, are demonstrated by engineering different director orientations via photopatterning. The photoactuators are fabricated by polymerizing LC monomer mixtures inside LC cells that have been A versatile, laser-projector-based method is demonstrated for programming alignment patterns into monolithic films of liquid crystal polymer networks. Complex images can be photopatterned into the polymer films with sub-100 µm resolution, using relative...

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Programming Photoresponse in Liquid Crystal Polymer Actuators with Laser Projector

Wani

Zeng

Wasylczyk

et al. 2017

Advanced Optical Materials

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“…For instance, Wani et al positioned an optical fibre at the centre of a light-responsive liquid-crystal elastomer (LCE) to induce Venus Flytrap-inspired gripping in 0.2 s when a target object reflected the light back towards the LCE 35 . Visible radiation has also been used to drive untethered, light-powered locomotion in LCEs [36][37][38] (Fig. 2b) and hydrogels 39 , and initiate gripping in copy paper-polypropylene bilayer actuators 40 .…”

Section: Nature Electronicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Untethered soft robotics

2018

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Research in soft matter engineering has introduced new approaches in robotics and wearable devices that can interface with the human body and adapt to unpredictable environments. However, many promising applications are limited by the dependence of soft systems on electrical or pneumatic tethers. Recent work in soft actuation and electronics has made removing such cords more feasible, heralding a variety of applications from autonomous field robotics to wireless biomedical devices. Here we review the development of functional untethered soft robotics. We focus on recent advances in soft robotic actuation, sensing and integration as they relate to untethered systems, and consider the key challenges the field faces in engineering systems that could have practical use in real-world conditions.

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“…Further demonstrations include a light‐driven “caterpillar” fabricated from a monolytic photochromic liquid‐crystal elastomer (LCE) film (Figure a) . Another liquid‐crystalline polymer film doped with visible‐light‐responsive fluorinated ABs is capable of continuous chaotic oscillatory motion upon exposure to ambient sunlight .…”

Section: Photoresponsive Materials and Nanostructuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recent Implementations of Molecular Photoswitches into Smart Materials and Biological Systems

Pianowski

2019

Chemistry A European J

274

226

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Light is a nearly ideal stimulus for molecular systems. It delivers information encoded in the form of wavelengths and their intensities with high precision in space and time. Light is a mild trigger that does not permanently contaminate targeted samples. Its energy can be reversibly transformed into molecular motion, polarity, or flexibility changes. This leads to sophisticated functions at the supramolecular and macroscopic levels, from light‐triggered nanomaterials to photocontrol over biological systems. New methods and molecular adapters of light are reported almost daily. Recently reported applications of photoresponsive systems, particularly azobenzenes, spiropyrans, diarylethenes, and indigoids, for smart materials and photocontrol of biological setups are described herein with the aim to demonstrate that the 21st century has become the Age of Enlightenment—“Le siècle des Lumières”—in molecular sciences.

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Light‐Driven, Caterpillar‐Inspired Miniature Inching Robot

Cited by 206 publications

References 39 publications

Programming Photoresponse in Liquid Crystal Polymer Actuators with Laser Projector

Programming Photoresponse in Liquid Crystal Polymer Actuators with Laser Projector

Untethered soft robotics

Recent Implementations of Molecular Photoswitches into Smart Materials and Biological Systems

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