Electromechanical actuation of dielectric liquid crystal elastomers for soft robotics

ORAL

Abstract

Liquid crystal elastomers, networks of anisotropic molecules, are two-way reversible shape memory polymers. They have long been considered as intelligent materials reminiscent of biological muscles with orientational order. Despite significant developments in chemistry, processing, and handling methods of liquid crystal elastomers, most demonstrated actuation mechanisms still rely on thermal or optical stimulation, which often suffers low efficiency of energy conversion into useful work. Here, we report fast and efficient electrical stimulation of liquid crystal elastomer actuators with high output work density for potential soft robotics applications. Different from conventional dielectric elastomers, which often require prestrain, the intrinsic elastic anisotropy in liquid crystal elastomers allows us to design complex patterns of locally aligned liquid crystal molecules. In turn, we demonstrate pre-programmed twisting, bending, and other actuations.

*ZSD and YG are supported by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, HS is supported by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. SY also wishes to acknowledge partial support from National Science Foundation (NSF)/EFRI-ODISSEI grant, #EFRI-1331583.

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Presenters

  • Zoey S. Davidson

    • Physical Intelligence, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems

Authors

  • Zoey S. Davidson

    • Physical Intelligence, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems

  • Hamed Shahsavan

    • Physical Intelligence, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems

  • Yubing Guo

    • Physical Intelligence, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems
    • Advanced Materials and Liquid Crystal Institute, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, 44242, USA

  • Lindsey Hines

    • Physical Intelligence, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems

  • Yu Xia

    • Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania
    • Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
    • Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University

  • Shu Yang

    • Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania
    • Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
    • University of Pennsylvania

  • Metin Sitti

    • Physical Intelligence, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems
    • Physical Intelligence, MPI for Intelligent Systems