Dual‐Stroke Soft Peltier Pouch Motor Based on Pipeless Thermo‐Pneumatic Actuation

Yue, Wenchao; Bai, Chengxi; Lai, Jiewen; Ren, Hongliang

doi:10.1002/adem.202301408

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 43 publications

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“…Fabrication methods have been developed for the manufacturing of flexible Peltier devices. Few studies have implemented these flexible Peltiers into thermo-active soft actuators, however their full capabilities have not yet been evaluated.Studies [16,43,153] which utilize thermoelectric materials to implement heating and cooling in soft actuators have been briefly investigated, but do not take full advantage of Peltier device's reversible characteristics. Their design is characterized by their actuation unit on one side and a phase-change composite heat sink on the other.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thermo-Reversible Phase-Change Actuators for Physical Human-Robot Interactions

Exley

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Exploring the advancement of soft and variable impedance actuators (VIAs), the research focuses on their potential for enhancing safety and adaptability in physical human-robot interactions (pHRI). Despite the promising attributes of these technologies, their adoption in portable applications is still emerging. Addressing the challenges hindering the widespread implementation of soft actuators and VIAs, a multidisciplinary approach is employed, spanning materials science, chemistry, thermodynamics, and more. Novel compliant actuators utilizing phase-change materials and flexible thermoelectric devices are introduced, offering improved safety, adaptability, and efficiency. Thermo-active phase change soft actuators, integrating Peltier junctions, achieve precise thermal control and reversible actuation, overcoming traditional Joule heating limitations for more efficient and controlled thermal responses. The research also delves into thermal variable impedance actuators, using viscoelastic polymers like polycaprolactone (PCL) for variable stiffness and damping. This innovation enables rapid adaptation to changing load conditions, enhancing the dynamic performance of VIAs. Key contributions encompass the design of an agonist-antagonist system using thermo-active phase change materials, applications in soft robotic devices such as grippers and locomotion mechanisms, and the implementation of bidirectional heating elements within these actuators. The work also outlines the challenges encountered, such as gravity's influence on actuation and the frequency-dependent properties of PCL, setting the stage for future research directions to advance the field of soft robotics. Through these contributions, the research demonstrates practical applications of soft and variable impedance actuators in pHRI, paving the way for future innovations in soft robotics.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thermo-Reversible Phase-Change Actuators for Physical Human-Robot Interactions

Exley

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Electrothermally activated soft materials: Mechanisms, methods and applications

Long,

Wang,

Wang

et al. 2025

Progress in Materials Science

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Solar-powered thermo-pneumatic actuators for passively controlled adaptive shading

Louis,

Shea

2024

Smart Mater. Struct.

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The operational energy demand of buildings plays a significant role in global energy consumption. Especially, the energy required for cooling is predicted to rise due to climate change. Adaptive shading is a promising approach to save operational energy in buildings.State-of-the-art adaptive shading systems employ both active and passive actuation as well as control strategies, to lower energy consumption while maintaining the thermal and visual comfort of building occupants. However, both approaches still must overcome challenges that hinder widespread adoption. Active systems need motors and pumps, dedicated power supplies, and control electronics. These components make the systems heavy and complex to maintain and repair. Passive systems work without dedicated power supplies and control electronics but can face limitations based on the active materials used, e.g., material degradation, toxicity, narrow response windows, and unknown performance in varying conditions. This work presents a solar-powered, thermo-pneumatic actuator for use in adaptive shading applications that works without specialized active materials, electronic actuation and controls. The actuator incorporates elastic bellows to transform the thermal expansion of air into motion and adapts to changes in irradiance. The actuator is built as a functional prototype and its performance in different irradiance scenarios is evaluated. The actuator is capable of considerable motion, moving a rotational mechanism close to 90° powered by an irradiance of 1000 W/m². The actuator response is sensitive enough to react to hourly changes in irradiance as well as to a simulated solar cycle. The paper concludes with the presentation of a shading device concept incorporating the actuator to highlight its potential for use in adaptive shading applications to reduce operational energy in buildings.

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Dual‐Stroke Soft Peltier Pouch Motor Based on Pipeless Thermo‐Pneumatic Actuation

Cited by 3 publications

References 43 publications

Thermo-Reversible Phase-Change Actuators for Physical Human-Robot Interactions

Thermo-Reversible Phase-Change Actuators for Physical Human-Robot Interactions

Electrothermally activated soft materials: Mechanisms, methods and applications

Solar-powered thermo-pneumatic actuators for passively controlled adaptive shading

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