Abstract
The unique properties of gallium based liquid metals (GaLMs) can be harnessed for realising various effects, enabling the formation of numerous soft electromechanical actuators and eventually lead to applications in more complex systems.
Highlights
Transformable soft actuators constituting highly deformable materials with low moduli, such as polymers, gels, and fluids play an important role in actuating robotic systems, for those with soft moving bodies.[1,2]
Tim Cole obtained his BSc in physics from the University of Manchester in 2016 and his MSc in advanced mechanical engineering from the University of Birmingham in 2020
LM alloys with a higher weight content of copper–iron had increased viscosity, which resulted in slower actuation speed during continuous electrowetting (CEW) and a reduced pumping flow rate, but had greater magnetic sensitivity
Summary
Transformable soft actuators constituting highly deformable materials with low moduli, such as polymers, gels, and fluids play an important role in actuating robotic systems, for those with soft moving bodies.[1,2] These actuators generate. GaLMs have the highest surface tension (4600 mN mÀ1) among all liquids and have a negligible vapour pressure even at a high temperature (4500 1C).[28] They are immiscible in aqueous and organic fluids Their metallic properties enable many extraordinary effects that cannot be reproduced using conventional fluids, such as electrochemical oxidation/reduction, continuous electrowetting, and the induction of the Lorentz force. These effects have enabled unparalleled actuation methods that have been harnessed for making innovative electromechanical soft actuators, and eventually lead to the construction of more complex systems for various applications (Fig. 1). We offer a perspective on the opportunities and challenges for the future development of such GaLM-based electromechanical actuators
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