1
|
Li N, Yuan X, Li Y, Zhang G, Yang Q, Zhou Y, Guo M, Liu J. Bioinspired Liquid Metal Based Soft Humanoid Robots. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2404330. [PMID: 38723269 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202404330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2024] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024]
Abstract
The pursuit of constructing humanoid robots to replicate the anatomical structures and capabilities of human beings has been a long-standing significant undertaking and especially garnered tremendous attention in recent years. However, despite the progress made over recent decades, humanoid robots have predominantly been confined to those rigid metallic structures, which however starkly contrast with the inherent flexibility observed in biological systems. To better innovate this area, the present work systematically explores the value and potential of liquid metals and their derivatives in facilitating a crucial transition towards soft humanoid robots. Through a comprehensive interpretation of bionics, an overview of liquid metals' multifaceted roles as essential components in constructing advanced humanoid robots-functioning as soft actuators, sensors, power sources, logical devices, circuit systems, and even transformable skeletal structures-is presented. It is conceived that the integration of these components with flexible structures, facilitated by the unique properties of liquid metals, can create unexpected versatile functionalities and behaviors to better fulfill human needs. Finally, a revolution in humanoid robots is envisioned, transitioning from metallic frameworks to hybrid soft-rigid structures resembling that of biological tissues. This study is expected to provide fundamental guidance for the coming research, thereby advancing the area.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cryogenic Science and Technology, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xiaohong Yuan
- School of Economics and Business Administration, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China
| | - Yuqing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cryogenic Science and Technology, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Guangcheng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cryogenic Science and Technology, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Qianhong Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Cryogenic Science and Technology, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yingxin Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Cryogenic Science and Technology, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Minghui Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Cryogenic Science and Technology, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Jing Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Cryogenic Science and Technology, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Dai L, Wu X, Hou H, Hu Z, Lin Y, Yuan Z. A system for fluid pumping by liquid metal multi-droplets. LAB ON A CHIP 2024; 24:1977-1986. [PMID: 38372394 DOI: 10.1039/d3lc01017a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
The transportation and control of microfluidics have an important influence on the fields of biology, chemistry, and medicine. Pump systems based on the electrocapillary effect and room-temperature liquid metal droplets have attracted extensive attention. Flow rate is an important parameter that reflects the delivery performance of the pump systems. In the systems of previous studies, cylindrical structures are mostly used to constrain the droplet. The analysis and quantitative description of the influence of voltage frequency, alternating voltage, direct current voltage bias, and solution concentration on the flow rate are not yet comprehensive. Furthermore, the systems are driven by only one droplet, which limits the increase in flow rate. Therefore, a pump with a cuboid structure is designed and the droplet is bound by pillars, and the flow rate of the pump is increased by more than 200% compared with the cylindrical pump. For this structure, the mechanism of various factors on the flow rate is analyzed. To further enhance the flow rate, a pump system with multi-droplets is proposed. Moreover, the expression of flow velocity of the solution on the surface of each droplet and the relationship between the flow rate, alternating voltage, and the number of droplets are deduced. Finally, the potential of applying the multi-droplet cuboid pump system in drug delivery and analytical chemistry is demonstrated. Additionally, the core of the pump, the droplet area, is modularized, which breaks the overall structural limitations of the liquid metal pump and provides ideas for pump design.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Liyu Dai
- Key Laboratory for Thermal Science and Power Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Energy and Power Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
| | - Xiaomin Wu
- Key Laboratory for Thermal Science and Power Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Energy and Power Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
| | - Huimin Hou
- Key Laboratory for Thermal Science and Power Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Energy and Power Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
| | - Zhifeng Hu
- Research Center of Solar Power and Refrigeration, School of Mechanical and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Yukai Lin
- Key Laboratory for Thermal Science and Power Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Energy and Power Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
| | - Zhiping Yuan
- Department of Energy and Power Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Chen Y, Chen X, Zhu Z, Sun M, Li S, Gan M, Tang SY, Li W, Zhang S, Sun L, Li X. 3D actuation of foam-core liquid metal droplets. SOFT MATTER 2023; 19:1293-1299. [PMID: 36524440 DOI: 10.1039/d2sm01349e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Precise manipulation of liquid metal (LM) droplets possesses the potential to enable a wide range of applications in reconfigurable electronics, robotics, and microelectromechanical systems. Although a variety of methods have been explored to actuate LM droplets on a 2D plane, versatile 3D manipulation remains a challenge due to the difficulty in overcoming their heavy weight. Here, foam-core liquid metal (FCLM) droplets that can maintain the surface properties of LM while significantly reducing the density are developed, enabling 3D manipulation in an electrolyte. The FCLM droplet is fabricated by coating LM on the surface of a copper-grafted foam sphere. The actuation of the FCLM droplet is realized by electrically inducing Marangoni flow on the LM surface. Two motion modes of the FCLM droplet are observed and studied and the actuation performance is characterized. Multiple FCLM droplets can be readily controlled to form 3D structures, demonstrating their potential to be further developed to form collaborative robots for enabling wider applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yue Chen
- College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215000, China.
| | - Xuanhan Chen
- College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215000, China.
| | - Zhenhong Zhu
- Children's Hospital of Soochow University, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215000, China
| | - Mingyuan Sun
- College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215000, China.
| | - Shen Li
- College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215000, China.
| | - Minfeng Gan
- Department of Orthopedic, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215000, China.
| | - Shi-Yang Tang
- Department of Electronic, Electrical and Systems Engineering, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
| | - Weihua Li
- School of Mechanical, Materials, Mechatronic and Biomedical Engineering, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
| | - Shiwu Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mechanical Behavior and Design of Materials, Department of Precision Machinery and Precision Instrumentation, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Lining Sun
- College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215000, China.
| | - Xiangpeng Li
- College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215000, China.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Tao Y, Shi C, Han F, Yang R, Xue R, Ge Z, Guo W, Liu W, Ren Y. Liquid metal droplet motion transferred from an alkaline solution by a robot arm. LAB ON A CHIP 2022; 22:4621-4631. [PMID: 36326042 DOI: 10.1039/d2lc00712f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The excellent motion performance of gallium-based liquid metals (LMs) upon the application of a modest electric field has provided a new opportunity for the development of autonomous soft robots. However, the locomotion of LMs often appears in an alkaline solution, which hampers the application under other different conditions. In this work, a novel robot arm is designed to transfer the motion of the LM from an alkaline solution in a synchronous drive mode. The liquid metal droplet (LMD) at the bottom of the robot arm is actuated using a DC voltage to provide the driving force for the system. By introducing an end effector at the center of the robot arm, the synchronous motion of the system is replicated and can be applied to different situations. The theoretical understanding of continuous electrowetting (CEW) at the LM interface is explained, and then the motion performance of the robot arm against the function of the applied voltage and driving direction is investigated. Moreover, several applications using this robot arm, such as pattern drawing, cargo transportation, and drug concentration detection, are demonstrated. The presented robot arm has the potential to observably expand the application fields of the LM.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ye Tao
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics and System, Harbin Institute of Technology, West Da-zhi Street 92, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150001, People's Republic of China.
| | - Changrui Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics and System, Harbin Institute of Technology, West Da-zhi Street 92, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150001, People's Republic of China.
| | - Feiyang Han
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics and System, Harbin Institute of Technology, West Da-zhi Street 92, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150001, People's Republic of China.
| | - Ruizhe Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics and System, Harbin Institute of Technology, West Da-zhi Street 92, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150001, People's Republic of China.
| | - Rui Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics and System, Harbin Institute of Technology, West Da-zhi Street 92, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150001, People's Republic of China.
| | - Zhenyou Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics and System, Harbin Institute of Technology, West Da-zhi Street 92, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150001, People's Republic of China.
| | - Wenshang Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics and System, Harbin Institute of Technology, West Da-zhi Street 92, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150001, People's Republic of China.
| | - Weiyu Liu
- Chang'an University, Middle-Section of Nan'er Huan Road, Xi'an 710000, China
| | - Yukun Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics and System, Harbin Institute of Technology, West Da-zhi Street 92, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150001, People's Republic of China.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Xue R, Guo W, Tao Y, Ren Y. A tripodal wheeled mobile robot driven by a liquid metal motor. LAB ON A CHIP 2022; 22:1943-1950. [PMID: 35510601 DOI: 10.1039/d2lc00267a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
As a novel driving concept, the liquid metal motor (LMM) has been regarded as a promising actuator due to its unique traits, such as infinitely variable speed, lack of transmission chain, convenient maintenance, and silence. However, at present, driving devices based on this material are still in the preliminary and rudimentary stage, and representative application examples are scarce. Therefore, an 8-shaped tripodal wheeled mobile robot (WMR) completely driven by a LMM is designed in this study to further prove the practicability of this material. Through combining the Marangoni surface flow on a liquid metal droplet (LMD) caused by an electrochemical reaction and the eccentric torque generated by the change in droplet shape and position, the two independently driven wheels of the mobile robot are actuated at differential moving speeds. Additionally, a matching control module, a cell phone application, and a battery have been developed and added for wireless control of three types of driving functions (moving forward, steering, and stopping). It is expected that this work could further advance the development and application of LMMs and bring new ideas to the design of WMRs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rui Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics and System, Harbin Institute of Technology, West Da-zhi Street 92, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150001, People's Republic of China.
| | - Wenshang Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics and System, Harbin Institute of Technology, West Da-zhi Street 92, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150001, People's Republic of China.
| | - Ye Tao
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics and System, Harbin Institute of Technology, West Da-zhi Street 92, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150001, People's Republic of China.
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, 9 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Yukun Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics and System, Harbin Institute of Technology, West Da-zhi Street 92, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150001, People's Republic of China.
| |
Collapse
|