Droplets as Carriers for Flexible Electronic Devices.

Mingxing Zhou,Wei Ling,Cheng Wang,Ya Li,Qing Yang,Ziyue Wu,Xian Huang,Hang Xu,Yicong Zhao

doi:10.1002/advs.201901862

Abstract

Coupling soft bodies and dynamic motions with multifunctional flexible electronics is challenging, but is essential in satisfying the urgent and soaring demands of fully soft and comprehensive robotic systems that can perform tasks in spite of rigorous spatial constraints. Here, the mobility and adaptability of liquid droplets with the functionality of flexible electronics, and techniques to use droplets as carriers for flexible devices are combined. The resulting active droplets (ADs) with volumes ranging from 150 to 600 µL can conduct programmable functions, such as sensing, actuation, and energy harvesting defined by the carried flexible devices and move under the excitation of gravitational force or magnetic force. They work in both dry and wet environments, and adapt to the surrounding environment through reversible shape shifting. These ADs can achieve controllable motions at a maximum velocity of 226 cm min−1 on a dry surface and 32 cm min−1 in a liquid environment. The conceptual system may eventually lead to individually addressable ADs that offer sophisticated functions for high‐throughput molecule analysis, drug assessment, chemical synthesis, and information collection.

Highlights

Coupling soft bodies and dynamic motions with multifunctional flexible that are fixed on locations
Their manipulation can be achieved through external or internal forces generated by magnetic fields,[16,17] electrical fields,[18,19] or chemical reactions,[20,21] resulting in motion in both dry and wet conditions and capabilities of reaching narrow space that is inaccessible by conventional robots
The active droplets (ADs) presented here represent innovative hybrid systems that combine the unique properties of liquid droplets with flexible electronics to perform sophisticated tasks, such as sensing, actuation, motion, and power harvesting

Summary

Introduction

Coupling soft bodies and dynamic motions with multifunctional flexible that are fixed on locations. The resulting active droplets (ADs) with volumes ranging and tactile sensing.[11,12] funcfrom 150 to 600 μL can conduct programmable functions, such as sensing, tionalization of existing soft robots still actuation, and energy harvesting defined by the carried flexible devices and move under the excitation of gravitational force or magnetic force. They work in both dry and wet environments, and adapt to the surrounding environment through reversible shape shifting. The mobility such as device deployment on droplets, liquid/device interacof flexible devices depends highly on their hosting objects, tion, device actuation, and potential applications have not yet which typically involve organisms, machines, or electronics been resolved

Methods

Results

Conclusion