Rong Yin1,2, Bao Yang1, Xujiao Ding1, Su Liu1, Wei Zeng1, Jun Li1, Su Hyun Yang1, Xiaoming Tao1
1Research Center of Smart Wearable Technology, Institute of Textiles and Clothing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, P. R. China
2Wilson College of Textiles, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA
Tóm tắt
AbstractSoft actuators driven by pneumatic or electric means are heavy and clumsy with physical connections, which hinders their applications in human–machine interactive, wearable, and biomedical fields. Herewith, a light fabric bimorph actuator is reported that is driven wirelessly by optical, thermal, and magnetic energy sources. Being fabricated by laminating electrically conductive fabric and biaxially oriented polypropylene film, the actuators show a large bending curvature of 0.75 cm−1 with optical stimulus and 0.55 cm−1 with magnetic stimulus, a response time of 0.27 s with a bending angle of 100° to magnetic stimulus, more than twice faster than previously reported bimorph actuators. Their remarkable performance is attributed to the optimal structural design based on a verified Timoshenko model, electrothermal and optical properties of the conductive fabric coated by copper/nickel. It is greatly enhanced by the large difference of thermal expansion coefficients between the film and fabric. Various wireless controlled prototypes are demonstrated, including a soft gripper, soft kickers, and artificial blooming flowers, illustrating a new way to mass produce cost‐effective bimorph actuators via a simple, green, and fast approach for applications in robots, wearable, and functional textiles.
