Magnetically controllable soft robots are of great interest
because
they have unique properties compared with conventional rigid counterparts
and can be used in diverse applications such as intelligent electronics,
bionics, personalized medicine, and cargo grasping. However, the fabrication
of such multifunctional soft robots has been challenging because of
the integration of dissimilar materials into the robot body. Herein,
we designed and fabricated a soft robotic multifunctional system using
conventional papers and elastomeric polymers for the colorimetric
detection of heavy metal ions (Hg2+ and Fe3+) in water samples. The magnetic actuation of the platforms was shown
to correlate with the type of underlying paper and magnetic particle
content in the mixtures. Moreover, it was observed that actuation
can also be manipulated by controlling the magnetic field strength.
A proof-of-concept robotic paper-based Hg2+, Zn2+, and Fe3+ ion detection was demonstrated by combining
colorimetric paper sensors and magneto-papers. Our study highlights
the significant potential of paper as a material for the fabrication
of effective and multifunctional untethered soft robots.