Biomimetic "Smart" Functional Materials for Developing Soft Robotic Devices

***提出的研究计划是开发在可逆形状变化和表面粘附方面具有优越性能的“智能”功能材料，这是构建软机器人设备的先决条件。软机器人是下一代机器人，它们可以编程并与人类合作执行精细的任务，例如，在受限的环境中感知/寻找丢失的物品，或者在人体内进行手术。软机器人领域令人兴奋，在世界范围内刚刚兴起。受生物系统中运动、粘附、传感、自清洁、形状变形等优越功能的启发，该项目将开发一套刺激响应功能智能材料和系统，以及创新工艺，以构建具有定制表面粘附的传感和机器人设备。为了实现这一目标，我们将应用聚合物科学、界面科学与工程、微纳米制造和增材制造（即3D打印）技术的最新进展来合成智能聚合物，将它们与功能纳米颗粒（如石墨烯、导电纳米纤维）结合，制造或打印成所需的形状。材料和工艺参数，包括聚合物相变温度，纳米颗粒-聚合物相互作用，纳米颗粒分散，流变特性和固化机制将被研究和调整为3D打印和其他制造工艺。在形状变化和表面粘附方面，材料特性和对刺激的响应之间的关系将被系统地研究，以获得科学见解和产生新知识，可能导致仿生研究和智能材料创造领域的革命性进展。将探索创新的技术含义，将材料开发转化为具有定制表面附着力的智能机器人设备的有效应用。获得的科学知识和技术发展，训练有素的HQPs将解决当前和未来许多创新制造过程中对功能材料和机器人设备日益增长的需求，并有助于保持加拿大科学界和制造业的竞争优势。

***The proposed research program is to develop “smart” functional materials with superior properties in terms of reversible shape change and surface adhesion, which are prerequisite for building soft robotic devices. Soft robots are next-generation robots, which can be programmed and cooperate with humans to perform delicate tasks, for instance, to sense/search for lost items in constrained environments, or to perform surgeries inside human bodies. The field of soft robotics is exciting and just emerging worldwide. Inspired by the superior functionalities such as locomotion, adhesion, sensing, self-cleaning, shape morphing in biological systems, this program will develop a suite of stimuli-responsive functional smart materials and systems, and innovative processes to build sensing and robotic devices with tailored surface adhesion. To achieve this, we will apply recent advances in polymer science, interfacial science and engineering, micro and nano fabrication, and additive manufacturing (i.e. 3D printing) techniques to synthesize smart polymers, to formulate them with functional nanoparticles (e.g. graphene, conductive nanofibers), fabricate or print into desired shapes. The material and process parameters including the polymer phase-transition temperature, nanoparticle-polymer interaction, nanoparticle dispersion, rheological characteristics, and curing mechanisms will be investigated and modulated for 3D printing and other fabrication processes. The relationship between material properties and responsiveness to stimuli in terms of both shape changes and surface adhesion will be systematically investigated to derive scientific insights and generate new knowledge, likely leading to revolutionary advances in the field of biomimetic research and creation of smart materials. Innovative technical implications will be explored to translate the material development into effective applications for smart robotic devices with tailored surface adhesion. The acquired scientific knowledge and technological development, trained HQPs will address the increasing demand of functional materials and robotic devices in many current and future innovative manufacturing processes, and help maintain the competitive advantage of Canadian scientific community and manufacturing industries.