中国物理B ›› 2022, Vol. 31 ›› Issue (12): 128801-128801.doi: 10.1088/1674-1056/ac6dbe

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Low-voltage soft robots based on carbon nanotube/polymer electrothermal composites

Qi Wang(王琪)1, Ying-Qiong Yong(雍颖琼)2, and Zhi-Ming Bai(白智明)1,†   

  1. 1 School of Civil and Resource Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China;
    2 R&D Department, China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, Beijing 100076, China
  • 收稿日期:2021-12-27 修回日期:2022-04-22 接受日期:2022-05-07 出版日期:2022-11-11 发布日期:2022-11-21
  • 通讯作者: Zhi-Ming Bai E-mail:baizhiming2008@126.com
  • 基金资助:
    Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51602021) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, China (Grant No. FRF-TP-18-023A2).

Low-voltage soft robots based on carbon nanotube/polymer electrothermal composites

Qi Wang(王琪)1, Ying-Qiong Yong(雍颖琼)2, and Zhi-Ming Bai(白智明)1,†   

  1. 1 School of Civil and Resource Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China;
    2 R&D Department, China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, Beijing 100076, China
  • Received:2021-12-27 Revised:2022-04-22 Accepted:2022-05-07 Online:2022-11-11 Published:2022-11-21
  • Contact: Zhi-Ming Bai E-mail:baizhiming2008@126.com
  • Supported by:
    Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51602021) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, China (Grant No. FRF-TP-18-023A2).

摘要: Nowadays, soft robots have become a research hot spot due to high degree of freedom, adaptability to the environment and safer interaction with humans. The carbon nanotube (CNT)/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) electrothermal composites have attracted wide attention in the field of flexible actuations due to large deformation at low voltages. Here, the preparation process of CNT/PDMS composites was designed and optimized, and electrothermal actuators (ETAs) were fabricated by cutting the CNT/PDMS composite films into a "U" shape and coating conductive adhesive. The deformation performance of the ETAs with different thicknesses at different voltages was studied. At a low voltage of about 7 V, the ETA has a deformation rate of up to 93%. Finally, two kinds of electrothermal soft robots (ETSRs) with four-legged and three-legged structures were fabricated, and their inchworm-like motion characteristics were studied. The ETSR2 has the best motion performance due to the moderate thickness and three-legged electrode structure.

关键词: carbon nanotube (CNT), polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), electrothermal actuator, soft robot

Abstract: Nowadays, soft robots have become a research hot spot due to high degree of freedom, adaptability to the environment and safer interaction with humans. The carbon nanotube (CNT)/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) electrothermal composites have attracted wide attention in the field of flexible actuations due to large deformation at low voltages. Here, the preparation process of CNT/PDMS composites was designed and optimized, and electrothermal actuators (ETAs) were fabricated by cutting the CNT/PDMS composite films into a "U" shape and coating conductive adhesive. The deformation performance of the ETAs with different thicknesses at different voltages was studied. At a low voltage of about 7 V, the ETA has a deformation rate of up to 93%. Finally, two kinds of electrothermal soft robots (ETSRs) with four-legged and three-legged structures were fabricated, and their inchworm-like motion characteristics were studied. The ETSR2 has the best motion performance due to the moderate thickness and three-legged electrode structure.

Key words: carbon nanotube (CNT), polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), electrothermal actuator, soft robot

中图分类号:  (Carbon nanotubes)

  • 88.30.rh
66.70.-f (Nonelectronic thermal conduction and heat-pulse propagation in solids;thermal waves) 45.40.Ln (Robotics)