The emergence of millimeter-scale soft actuators has signifi-cantly expanded the potential applications in areas such as search and rescue,drug delivery,and human assistance,due to their high flexibility.Despite these...The emergence of millimeter-scale soft actuators has signifi-cantly expanded the potential applications in areas such as search and rescue,drug delivery,and human assistance,due to their high flexibility.Despite these advancements,achieving precise control over the intricate movements of soft crawlers poses a significant challenge.In this study,we have developed an all-optical approach that enables manipulation of propul-sive forces by simultaneously modifying the magnitude and direction of friction forces,thereby enabling complex motions of soft actuators.Importantly,the approach is not constrained by specific actuator shapes,and theoretically,any elongated photothermal actuator can be employed.The actuator was designed with an isosceles trapezoid shape,featuring a top width of 2mm,a bottom width of 4 mm,and a length of 8 mm.Through our,manipulation approach,we showcase a proof-of-concept for complex soft robotic motions,including crawling(achieving speeds of up to 2.25 body lengths per minute),turning,avoiding obstacles,handling and trans-ferring objects approximately twice its own weight,and navi-gating narrow spaces along programmed paths.Our results showcasethis all-optical manipulationapproach as a promising,yet unexplored tool for the precision and wireless control for the development of advanced soft actuators.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [62105090,22275048,22411530048]the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities [JZ2023YQTD0074]+2 种基金the National Key R&D Program of China [2021YFF0502700]Anhui Provincial Natural Science Foundation [2008085J22]the USTC Research Funds of the Double First-Class Initiative [YD2340002009].
文摘The emergence of millimeter-scale soft actuators has signifi-cantly expanded the potential applications in areas such as search and rescue,drug delivery,and human assistance,due to their high flexibility.Despite these advancements,achieving precise control over the intricate movements of soft crawlers poses a significant challenge.In this study,we have developed an all-optical approach that enables manipulation of propul-sive forces by simultaneously modifying the magnitude and direction of friction forces,thereby enabling complex motions of soft actuators.Importantly,the approach is not constrained by specific actuator shapes,and theoretically,any elongated photothermal actuator can be employed.The actuator was designed with an isosceles trapezoid shape,featuring a top width of 2mm,a bottom width of 4 mm,and a length of 8 mm.Through our,manipulation approach,we showcase a proof-of-concept for complex soft robotic motions,including crawling(achieving speeds of up to 2.25 body lengths per minute),turning,avoiding obstacles,handling and trans-ferring objects approximately twice its own weight,and navi-gating narrow spaces along programmed paths.Our results showcasethis all-optical manipulationapproach as a promising,yet unexplored tool for the precision and wireless control for the development of advanced soft actuators.
