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Li Q, Cheng M, Wu M. Effective On-Line Performance Modulation and Efficient Continuous Preparation of Ultra-Long Twisted and Coiled Polymer Artificial Muscles for Engineering Applications. Soft Robot 2024; 11:519-530. [PMID: 38190210 DOI: 10.1089/soro.2023.0043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Artificial muscle is a kind of thread-like actuator that can produce contractile strain, generate force, and output mechanical work under external stimulations to imitate the functions and achieve the performances of biological muscles. It can be used to actuate various bionic soft robots and has broad application prospects. The electrically controlled twisted and coiled polymer (TCP) artificial muscles, with the advantages of high power density, large stroke and low driving voltage, while also being electrolyte free, are the most practical. However, the relationship between the muscle performances and its preparation parameters is not very clear yet, and the complete procedure of designing and preparing TCP muscles according to actual needs has not been established. Besides, current preparation approaches are very time-consuming and cannot make ultra-long TCP muscles. These problems greatly limit wide applications of TCP artificial muscles. In this study, we studied and built the relationship between the actuating performances of TCP muscles and their preparation parameters, so that suitable TCP muscles can be easily designed and prepared according to actual requirements. Moreover, an efficient preparation method integrating one-step annealing technique has been developed to realize on-line performance modulation and continuous fabrication of ultra-long TCP muscles. By graphically assembling long muscles on heat-resist films, we designed and produced a series of fancy soft robots (butterfly, flower, starfish), which can perform various bionic movements and complete specific tasks. This work has achieved efficient on-demand preparation and large-scale assembly of ultra-long TCP muscles, laying solid foundations for their engineering applications in soft robot field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingwei Li
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Intelligent Robots and Systems, School of Mechatronical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Mingxing Cheng
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Mengjie Wu
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Intelligent Robots and Systems, School of Mechatronical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
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Kanno R, Shimizu K, Murakami K, Shibahara Y, Ogawa N, Akai H, Shintake J. Silicone-based highly stretchable multifunctional fiber pumps. Sci Rep 2024; 14:4618. [PMID: 38409217 PMCID: PMC10897224 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-55472-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Recent advancements on electrohydrodynamic (EHD) soft pumps demonstrate their applicability to various fluid-driven systems such as soft robots, wearable devices, and stretchable electronics. In particular, fiber type EHD pumps reported more recently is a promising pumping element thanks to their versatile fibrous structure. Yet existing EHD fiber pumps are less stretchable and require sophisticated, complex fabrication equipment, implying opportunity for technology advancement. This paper presents a simplified method to create highly stretchable multifunctional fiber EHD pumps. The method employs highly compliant silicone elastomers for the fiber structure that is formed by simple dipping fabrication process. The fabricated pumps (length of 100 mm, inner diameter 4 mm, and mass 5.3 g) exhibit a high stretchability (up to 40% strain) and flow rate and pressure of 167.4 ± 7.6 mL/min (31.6 mL/min/g) and 4.1 ± 0.6 kPa (0.8 kPa/g), respectively. These performances are comparable or even higher than those of previously reported EHD pumps including fiber types. The output performance of the fabricated pumps remain constant for repeated strain cycles (0-25%, up to 2000 cycles) and bending angle up to 180° (corresponding to curvature of 0-30/m). Moreover, the pumps demonstrate unprecedented functionality as a sensor to distinguish the type of fluid inside the tube and to detect strains by reading the capacitance between the electrodes. The characterization result reveals the sensing ability of the pumps as high repeatability up to 30% strain with negligible hysteresis, which is consistent for 5000 cycles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryo Kanno
- Shintake Research Group, Department of Mechanical and Intelligent Systems Engineering, The University of Electro-Communications, 1-5-1 Chofugaoka, Chofu, Tokyo, 182-8585, Japan
- Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, 8600, Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Keita Shimizu
- Shintake Research Group, Department of Mechanical and Intelligent Systems Engineering, The University of Electro-Communications, 1-5-1 Chofugaoka, Chofu, Tokyo, 182-8585, Japan
| | - Kazuya Murakami
- Shintake Research Group, Department of Mechanical and Intelligent Systems Engineering, The University of Electro-Communications, 1-5-1 Chofugaoka, Chofu, Tokyo, 182-8585, Japan
| | - Yuya Shibahara
- Shintake Research Group, Department of Mechanical and Intelligent Systems Engineering, The University of Electro-Communications, 1-5-1 Chofugaoka, Chofu, Tokyo, 182-8585, Japan
| | - Naoki Ogawa
- Functional Design Laboratory, Science and Innovation Center, Mitsubishi Chemical Co., Ltd., 1000 Kamoshida-cho, Aoba-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 227-8502, Japan
| | - Hideko Akai
- Functional Design Laboratory, Science and Innovation Center, Mitsubishi Chemical Co., Ltd., 1000 Kamoshida-cho, Aoba-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 227-8502, Japan
| | - Jun Shintake
- Shintake Research Group, Department of Mechanical and Intelligent Systems Engineering, The University of Electro-Communications, 1-5-1 Chofugaoka, Chofu, Tokyo, 182-8585, Japan.
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Leng X, Mei G, Zhang G, Liu Z, Zhou X. Tethering of twisted-fiber artificial muscles. Chem Soc Rev 2023; 52:2377-2390. [PMID: 36919405 DOI: 10.1039/d2cs00489e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
Twisted-fiber artificial muscles, a new type of soft actuator, exhibit significant potential for use in applications related to lightweight smart devices and soft robotics. Fiber twisting generates internal torque and a spiral architecture, exhibiting rotation, contraction, or elongation as a result of fiber volume change. Untethering a twisted fiber often results in fiber untwisting and loss of stored torque energy. Preserving the torque in twisted fibers during actuation is necessary to realize a reversible and stable artificial muscle performance; this is a key issue that has not yet been systematically discussed and reviewed. This review summarizes the mechanisms for preserving the torque within twisted fibers and the potential applications of such systems. The potential challenges and future directions of research related to twisted-fiber artificial muscles are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueqi Leng
- Department of Science, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China. .,State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Smart Sensing Interdisciplinary Science Center, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China.
| | - Guangkai Mei
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Smart Sensing Interdisciplinary Science Center, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China.
| | - Guanghao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Smart Sensing Interdisciplinary Science Center, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China.
| | - Zunfeng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Smart Sensing Interdisciplinary Science Center, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China.
| | - Xiang Zhou
- Department of Science, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China. .,State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Smart Sensing Interdisciplinary Science Center, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China.
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