Toward a New Generation of Smart Biomimetic Actuators for Architecture

Poppinga, Simon; Zollfrank, Cordt; Prucker, Oswald; Rühe, Jürgen; Menges, Achim; Cheng, Tiffany; Speck, Thomas

doi:10.1002/adma.201703653

Cited by 126 publications

(120 citation statements)

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“…The applications can also be implemented into personal electronic devices-smartwatches and fitness trackers are increasingly common in everyday usage [17]. Additionally, new lightweight energy materials are highly sought after in applications such as exoskeletons for physical rehabilitation [18], biomimetic actuators [19], field-effect transistors [20], and chemical sensing for air pollution and other biohazards [21].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Flexible Electrode Based on MWCNT Embedded in a Cross-Linked Acrylamide/Alginate Blend: Conductivity vs. Stretching

Thibodeau

Ignaszak

2020

Polymers

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A polyacrylamide-alginate hydrogel electrolyte, blended with Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNT) as an electronically conductive fraction, allows for the creation of a flexible, durable, and resilient electrode. The MWCNT content is correlated with mechanical characteristics such as stretch modulus, tensile resistance, and electrical conductivity. The mechanical analysis demonstrates tensile strength that is comparable to similar hydrogels reported in the literature, with increasing strength for MWCNT-embedded hydrogels. The impedance spectroscopy reveals that the total resistance of electrodes decreases with increasing MWCNT content upon elongation and that bending and twisting do not obstruct their conductivity. The MWCNT-inserted hydrogels show mixed ionic and electronic conductivities, both within a range of 1-4 × 10 −2 S cm −1 in a steady state. In addition, the thermal stability of these materials increases with incrementing MWCNT content. This observation agrees with long-term charge-discharge cycling that shows enhanced electrochemical durability of the MWCNT-hydrogel hybrid when compared to pure hydrogel electrolyte. The hydrogel-carbon films demonstrate an increased interfacial double-layer current at a high MWCNT content (giving an area-specific capacitance of~30 mF cm −2 at 2.79 wt.% of MWCNT), which makes them promising candidates as printable and flexible electrodes for lightweight energy storage applications. The maximum content of MWCNT within the polymer electrolyte was estimated at 2.79 wt.%, giving a very elastic polymer electrode with good electrical characteristics.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Flexible Electrode Based on MWCNT Embedded in a Cross-Linked Acrylamide/Alginate Blend: Conductivity vs. Stretching

Thibodeau

Ignaszak

2020

Polymers

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“…Plants exploit swelling pressures to generate shape changes or other controlled movements ( Figure ). Swelling pressure can be induced by biochemical processes in living cells, but also occurs in dead cells through changes in the amount of absorbed water from hydration and dehydration . The latter accounts for actions such as the opening of seed pods and is an ideal system for studying the mechanics of the actuation process .…”

Section: Stiff Helical Fibers In a Volume‐changing Matrixmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Muscle is perhaps the most useful natural actuator powering all manner of motions like flea jumps, trunk twists, and wing flaps as well as essential bodily functions like heart beats and peristalsis. Mechanical action is less noticeable and less prevalent in plants, but is fundamental in diurnal sun tracking of flowers, the opening of seed pods, the snap closure of the venus fly trap, and others . In recent times, the development of synthetic actuator materials that mimic the action of their natural counterparts has been an active area of research .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Advanced Actuator Materials Powered by Biomimetic Helical Fiber Topologies

Spinks

2019

Advanced Materials

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where conventional mechanical drive systems, such as electric motors, are too large or too heavy. [13] Natural skeletal muscle is often used as a benchmark for comparing and evaluating synthetic artificial muscles. The three key attributes of any actuator are the force generated, the amount of movement produced, and the time taken to complete a full actuation cycle. Skeletal muscle, e.g., generates a blocked stress of ≈0.3 MPa, free strain of ≈20%, responds in ≈0.1 s, and has a density of 1037 kg m −3 . Combining these parameters gives a reasonable estimate of the peak powerto-weight ratio (PWR) for muscle at ≈300 W kg −1 . [14] The PWR for conventional motors, engines, and other actuators covers a wide range (1-10 4 W kg −1 ), and there is a rough scaling between weight and PWR. This scaling means that small motors are less powerful and at sizes of less than a few tens of grams, muscle outperforms any available engine or motor. This limitation is currently hampering the development of many needed technologies. For example, the current state-of-the-art, motor-driven prosthetic hands are impressive but still do not match the dexterity of a healthy human. In theory, low-profile and high PWR artificial muscles could replicate the full range of motion, grip types, and strengths of the hand. Recent demonstrations of artificial muscle powered robotic hands [15] highlight the need for improved actuator materials, fabrication strategies, and control processes. In fact, biomimetic actuators are yet to be developed that match all of the features of natural muscle including large stroke, high speed, efficiency, long operating life, silent operation, and safety for use in human contact. Great progress has been made in the development of artificial muscles, and the most recent significant example of twisted and coiled polymer fibers [16] exploits a helical fiber topology that has a similarity with many constructs found in nature. Helices are a recurring feature in many of nature's actuators, which poses the question of whether the helix introduces any particular mechanical advantage.The helix is a striking and ubiquitous feature in biology [17] with several examples illustrated in Figure 1. The double stranded DNA molecule is probably the most famous helix (or double helix), but similar structures pervade biology at all length scales from molecular to the macroscopic. Many protein molecules adopt an alpha-helix conformation and assemble into helical filaments, such as the thin filament in skeletal muscle.Helical constructs are ubiquitous in nature at all size domains, from molecular to macroscopic. The helical topology confers unique mechanical functions that activate certain phenomena, such as twining vines and vital cellular functions like the folding and packing of DNA into chromosomes. The understanding of active mechanical processes in plants, certain musculature in animals, and some biochemical processes in cells provides insight into the versatility of the helix. Most of these natural systems consist of helically orien...

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“…Some façades can be used to cultivate or act in mutual coordination with species such as algae that can grow and be harvested for oil, so they are suitable as a biodiesel, bioethanol, bio-hydrogen, or biomass production source (see Section 4.4). Yet these need not be living organisms and can be systems mimicking living organisms such as building integrated nano-wind turbines [10].…”

Section: Energy Requirementsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biomimetic Facade Applications for a More Sustainable Future

Tokuç¹,

Özkaban²,

Andiç‐Çakır³

2018

Interdisciplinary Expansions in Engineering and Design With the Power of Biomimicry

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Mankind has often taken inspiration from the nature to solve problems since nature has sophisticated processes, refined for thousands of years. While manmade systems are unsustainable, natural processes embody sustainability principles; therefore, there are many things to learn from nature in order to solve design problems and create a more sustainable future. This is the promise of a biomimetic design approach. Another design approach is biodesign, and it also involves utilizing natural elements inside the design. The building façade is a problematic research area since it is at the intersection between living spaces and natural environment; thus it faces many problems especially regarding energy-air-water transition between indoors and outdoors. Application of key sustainability concepts in architecture such as energy requirements, form and structure, and sustainability considerations can be enhanced by learning from natural processes. This chapter looks at cutting-edge design principles, materials, and designs in building façades through the lens of biomimetics and biodesign. First, the design principles and then the materials and some cases are explained. The concepts of biomimicry and biodesign are in harmony with the concept of sustainability; however, to reach sustainable façade solutions, the sustainability principles should be at the core of the design problem definition. paradigm shifts. Biomimicry is a relatively new term, yet its connotations have been part of architecture for millennia, especially in form generation and imitating structural systems. While our interpretation for the earliest works is mostly conjecture, the written works relate the architectural styles of art nouveau, streamline design, anthropomorphism, zoomorphism, biomorphism, organic design, and biologically inspired design as precursors to biomimetics, biomimesis, or bionic [1]. While some designers and researchers interpret biomimicry as an all-encompassing approach to learn from nature (such as the biomimicry institute), others argue it should only be used to identify mimicking biological processes, and other phenomena should be called by different names. These include biophilia (love of nature) for taking inspiration from natural forms [2], biomimesis for imitation of natural models and systems, and geomimicry for utilizing geological processes instead of biological ones.Biomimetic Facade Applications for a More Sustainable Future http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.73021 95

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Toward a New Generation of Smart Biomimetic Actuators for Architecture

Cited by 126 publications

References 57 publications

Flexible Electrode Based on MWCNT Embedded in a Cross-Linked Acrylamide/Alginate Blend: Conductivity vs. Stretching

Flexible Electrode Based on MWCNT Embedded in a Cross-Linked Acrylamide/Alginate Blend: Conductivity vs. Stretching

Advanced Actuator Materials Powered by Biomimetic Helical Fiber Topologies

Biomimetic Facade Applications for a More Sustainable Future

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