Actuation-enhanced multifunctional sensing and information recognition by magnetic artificial cilia arrays

Abstract

Artificial cilia integrating both actuation and sensing functions allow simultaneously sensing environmental properties and manipulating fluids in situ, which are promising for environment monitoring and fluidic applications. However, existing artificial cilia have limited ability to sense environmental cues in fluid flows that have versatile information encoded. This limits their potential to work in complex and dynamic fluid-filled environments. Here, we propose a generic actuation-enhanced sensing mechanism to sense complex environmental cues through the active interaction between artificial cilia and the surrounding fluidic environments. The proposed mechanism is based on fluid–cilia interaction by integrating soft robotic artificial cilia with flexible sensors. With a machine learning-based approach, complex environmental cues such as liquid viscosity, environment boundaries, and distributed fluid flows of a wide range of velocities can be sensed, which is beyond the capability of existing artificial cilia. As a proof of concept, we implement this mechanism on magnetically actuated cilia with integrated laser-induced graphene-based sensors and demonstrate sensing fluid apparent viscosity, environment boundaries, and fluid flow speed with a reconfigurable sensitivity and range. The same principle could be potentially applied to other soft robotic systems integrating other actuation and sensing modalities for diverse environmental and fluidic applications.

Low Magnetic Field Induced Extrinsic Strains in Multifunctional Particulate Composites: An Interrupted Mechanical Strengthening in 3D-Printed Nanocomposites

“…Both offer numerous benefits such as multifunctional design, production, and structural flexibility and tailoring [11,12]. Biomedical devices [13,14], field-assisted fabrication [15][16][17], surgical [18,19], electronics and sensing [20][21][22][23][24][25], and soft robotics/actuators/stiffening [26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33] are amongst the most common applications for magnetic composite materials. Investigations have been conducted to provide a description of the mechanical properties affected by a magnetic field [34,35].…”

“…The research suggests a high potential for the exploitation of remote magnetic fields for the introduction of relatively extensive strain (and eventually deformation) in flexible and soft structures. In ciliated surfaces [26,27], high-aspect-ratio miniature pillars are controlled via a magnetic field to alter flow characteristics in fluid-structural interaction applications (e.g., aerodynamic surfaces or internal flow control). It is also noteworthy that magnetic materials deliver a set of additional features used for electromagnetic devices including transformers, sensors and magneto-thermal materials.…”

Single-step precision programming of decoupled multiresponsive soft millirobots

“…This technique employs responsive materials that undergo heterogeneous expansion or compression, generating internal stress to induce shape changes ( 27 ). Successful applications of this technique include the creation of 3D electrodes using responsive bilayer polymers ( 28 – 32 ), patterned polymers ( 30 , 33 ), liquid crystal polymers ( 34 – 36 ), and polymer films with gradient structures ( 37 – 39 ) or assembled architectures ( 40 ). However, current fabrication methods always involve arduous assembly processes ( 40 – 44 ), design inflexibility constraint ( 16 , 45 – 48 ), and insufficient precision ( 18 , 49 , 50 ).…”