Solar‐Driven Soft Robots
Abstract Stimuli‐responsive materials have been lately employed in soft robotics enabling new classes of robots that can emulate biological systems. The untethered operation of soft materials with high power light, magnetic field, and electric field has been previously demonstrated. While electric a...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2021-04-01
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| Series: | Advanced Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202004235 |
| _version_ | 1818941806287519744 |
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| author | Seyed M. Mirvakili Arny Leroy Douglas Sim Evelyn N. Wang |
| author_facet | Seyed M. Mirvakili Arny Leroy Douglas Sim Evelyn N. Wang |
| author_sort | Seyed M. Mirvakili |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Stimuli‐responsive materials have been lately employed in soft robotics enabling new classes of robots that can emulate biological systems. The untethered operation of soft materials with high power light, magnetic field, and electric field has been previously demonstrated. While electric and magnetic fields can be stimulants for untethered actuation, their rapid decay as a function of distance limits their efficacy for long‐range operations. In contrast, light—in the form of sunlight or collimated from an artificial source (e.g., laser, Xenon lamps)—does not decay rapidly, making it suitable for long‐range excitation of untethered soft robots. In this work, an approach to harnessing sunlight for the untethered operation of soft robots is presented. By employing a selective solar absorber film and a low‐boiling point (34 °C) fluid, light‐operated soft robotic grippers are demonstrated, grasping and lifting objects almost 25 times the mass of the fluid in a controllable fashion. The method addresses one of the salient challenges in the field of untethered soft robotics. It precludes the use of bulky peripheral components (e.g., compressors, valves, or pressurized gas tank) and enables the untethered long‐range operation of soft robots. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T07:01:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2d4184907258440e9eb1ea4834dc7673 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2198-3844 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T07:01:23Z |
| publishDate | 2021-04-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Advanced Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-2d4184907258440e9eb1ea4834dc76732022-12-21T19:49:11ZengWileyAdvanced Science2198-38442021-04-0188n/an/a10.1002/advs.202004235Solar‐Driven Soft RobotsSeyed M. Mirvakili0Arny Leroy1Douglas Sim2Evelyn N. Wang3Koch Institute Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge MA 02139 USAMechanical Engineering Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge MA 02139 USAElectrical and Computer Engineering Department University of British Columbia Vancouver BC V6T 1Z2 CanadaMechanical Engineering Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge MA 02139 USAAbstract Stimuli‐responsive materials have been lately employed in soft robotics enabling new classes of robots that can emulate biological systems. The untethered operation of soft materials with high power light, magnetic field, and electric field has been previously demonstrated. While electric and magnetic fields can be stimulants for untethered actuation, their rapid decay as a function of distance limits their efficacy for long‐range operations. In contrast, light—in the form of sunlight or collimated from an artificial source (e.g., laser, Xenon lamps)—does not decay rapidly, making it suitable for long‐range excitation of untethered soft robots. In this work, an approach to harnessing sunlight for the untethered operation of soft robots is presented. By employing a selective solar absorber film and a low‐boiling point (34 °C) fluid, light‐operated soft robotic grippers are demonstrated, grasping and lifting objects almost 25 times the mass of the fluid in a controllable fashion. The method addresses one of the salient challenges in the field of untethered soft robotics. It precludes the use of bulky peripheral components (e.g., compressors, valves, or pressurized gas tank) and enables the untethered long‐range operation of soft robots.https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202004235actuatorsartificial musclesphase changesoft robotssolar energyuntethered |
| spellingShingle | Seyed M. Mirvakili Arny Leroy Douglas Sim Evelyn N. Wang Solar‐Driven Soft Robots Advanced Science actuators artificial muscles phase change soft robots solar energy untethered |
| title | Solar‐Driven Soft Robots |
| title_full | Solar‐Driven Soft Robots |
| title_fullStr | Solar‐Driven Soft Robots |
| title_full_unstemmed | Solar‐Driven Soft Robots |
| title_short | Solar‐Driven Soft Robots |
| title_sort | solar driven soft robots |
| topic | actuators artificial muscles phase change soft robots solar energy untethered |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202004235 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT seyedmmirvakili solardrivensoftrobots AT arnyleroy solardrivensoftrobots AT douglassim solardrivensoftrobots AT evelynnwang solardrivensoftrobots |