Electrically Controlled Liquid Crystal Elastomer Surfaces for Dynamic Wrinkling
Electrically Controlled Liquid Crystal Elastomer Surfaces for Dynamic Wrinkling
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DOI：
10.1002/aisy.202200402
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发表时间：
2023-04
影响因子：
7.4
通讯作者：
Zefang Li;G. Olson;Dinesh K. Patel;L. Yao;C. Majidi
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Zefang Li;G. Olson;Dinesh K. Patel;L. Yao;C. Majidi
液晶弹性体（LCE）作为用于以收缩或弯曲模式操作的软机器人致动器的形状记忆材料变得越来越流行。先前已经有关于使用LCE用于表面形貌的可逆变化的研究。然而，表面突起通常被限制在1 μm的量级，或者依赖于难以局部控制或需要相对高电压的光、热或电刺激。本文提出了一种新的操作模式的LCE致动器的基础上的LCE-弹性体双层架构的扭曲行为。在LCE内嵌入基于液态金属的导电油墨能够通过焦耳加热对表面微扰进行电气控制。在2 W的输入功率和1 V量级的电压下，致动器单元可以在30 s内产生振幅范围为17至45 μm的褶皱。由于双层完全由软材料组成，因此具有高度可变形性和柔性，并且可以集成到能够在曲面上弯曲的多单元阵列中。
Liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) are becoming increasingly popular as a shape memory material for soft robot actuators that operate in a contractile or flexural mode. There have been previously studies on the use of LCEs for reversible changes in surface topography. However, surface protrusions have typically been limited to the order of 1 μm or depend on light, heat, or electrical stimulation that are difficult to locally control or require relatively high voltage. This article presents a novel operation mode of LCE actuators based on the wrinkling behavior of an LCE‐elastomer bilayer architecture. Embedding a liquid‐metal‐based conductive ink within the LCE enables electrical control of surface wrinkling through Joule heating. The actuator cells can generate wrinkles with amplitudes ranging from 17 to 45 μm within 30 s under an input power of 2 W and a voltage on the order of 1 V. As the bilayer is composed entirely of soft materials, it is highly deformable, flexible, and can be integrated into a multi‐cell array capable of bending on curved surfaces.