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Abstract
There is ever-increasing interest yet grand challenge in developing programmable untethered soft robotics. Here we address this challenge by applying the asymmetric elastoplasticity of stacked graphene assembly (SGA) under tension and compression. We transfer the SGA onto a polyethylene (PE) film, the resulting SGA/PE bilayer exhibits swift morphing behavior in response to the variation of the surrounding temperature. With the applications of patterned SGA and/or localized tempering pretreatment, the initial configurations of such thermal-induced morphing systems can also be programmed as needed, resulting in diverse actuation systems with sophisticated three-dimensional structures. More importantly, unlike the normal bilayer actuators, our SGA/PE bilayer, after a constrained tempering process, will spontaneously curl into a roll, which can achieve rolling locomotion under infrared lighting, yielding an untethered light-driven motor. The asymmetric elastoplasticity of SGA endows the SGA-based bi-materials with great application promise in developing untethered soft robotics with high configurational programmability.
Highlights
There is ever-increasing interest yet grand challenge in developing programmable untethered soft robotics
The resulting stacked graphene assembly (SGA)/PE bilayer film exhibits sensitive morphing behaviors in response to the variation of the surrounding temperature. It will curl with the SGA layer wrapped inside as the environmental temperature increases and flatten when the temperature is reduced to the initial value (Fig. 1a, d)
An SGA/PE bilayer film is obtained after drying in nitrogen gas at room temperature (Fig. 2b)
Summary
There is ever-increasing interest yet grand challenge in developing programmable untethered soft robotics. In order to apply these smart materials in wearable and/or field robotics, the essential components including processing, actuation, and power should be fully integrated and embedded in its own structure This poses a grand challenge in creating untethered soft robotics[42]. Our study on stacked graphene assembly (SGA) revealed that it exhibits high plasticity under tension and high elasticity under compression Based on this finding of asymmetric elastoplasticity, here we develop a strategy to prepare a cost-effective and highly programmable smart material by transferring a layer of SGA onto a polyethylene (PE) film. The resulting SGA/PE bilayer film exhibits sensitive morphing behaviors in response to the variation of the surrounding temperature It will curl with the SGA layer wrapped inside as the environmental temperature increases and flatten when the temperature is reduced to the initial value (Fig. 1a, d). Asymmetric elastoplasticity of SGA endows the SGA/PE bilayer materials with great application potential in actuators, motors, and untethered soft robotics with high programmability
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