LCEs are smart materials that can exhibit large shape change under illumination with visible light. It is possible to pattern these soft materials into arbitrary three dimensional forms with a pre-defined actuation performance. The light-induced deformation allows a monolithic LCE structure to perform complex actions without numerous discrete actuators.
The 15-millimeter robot harvests energy from green light and is controlled by spatially modulated laser beam. Its body is made of a light sensitive elastomer stripe with patterned molecular alignment. By controlling the travelling deformation pattern the robot mimics different gaits. It can walk up a slope, squeeze through a slit and push objects as heavy as ten times its own mass.
“Designing soft robots calls for a completely new paradigm in their mechanics, power supply and control. We are only beginning to learn from nature and shift our design approaches towards those that emerged through natural evolution,” said Piotr Wasylczyk, head of the Photonic Nanostructure Facility at the University of Warsaw.
Researchers believe the invention could lead to further developments in small-scale soft robotics.
According to Piotr Wasylczyk, head of the Photonic Nanostructure Facility at the University of Warsaw, it is too early to know the extent of the applications the robot could be used for, but he suggested to New Electronics that, "they could include the pollination of plants as well as the collection of debris over large contaminated areas."
