Electronic whiskers for velocity sensing based on the liquid metal hysteresis effect

Sun, Xinlong; Fu, Jun‐Heng; Zhao, Hongbin; Xiang, Wentao; Zhan, Fei; Sun, Chenkun; Tang, Shuang-Yan; Wang, Lei; Liu, Jing

doi:10.1039/d2sm01175a

Cited by 8 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…As a fluid, LM causes its deformation velocity to undergo hysteresis due to its viscous characteristics. 24 Therefore, the influence of the viscosity of LM on the fiber properties through different rotation speeds is observed and shown in Figure 3b. When the rotation frequency reaches 2.5 Hz, the viscosity of LM will have a significant impact on the stability of the fiber.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…As a fluid, LM causes its deformation velocity to undergo hysteresis due to its viscous characteristics . Therefore, the influence of the viscosity of LM on the fiber properties through different rotation speeds is observed and shown in Figure b.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Furthermore, when the LM is subjected to mechanical deformation, the oxide layer is torn and quickly regenerated. This makes it suitable for use in various manufacturing methods such as stencil printing, 3D printing, direct writing, spray deposition, and more. − Wang et al proposed an electronic whisker by injecting LM into the fiber . He et al proposed a spiral tubular sensor to monitor the attitude of a serpentine soft robot by detecting axial tension and curvature.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…19−23 Wang et al proposed an electronic whisker by injecting LM into the fiber. 24 He et al proposed a spiral tubular sensor to monitor the attitude of a serpentine soft robot by detecting axial tension and curvature. Varga et al proposed a capacitive inertial sensor based on the movement of LM droplets.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Liquid Metal-Based Angle Detection Sensor

Zhan

et al. 2023

ACS Appl. Electron. Mater.

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Liquid metal (LM) as the universal artificial biomimetic sensory material has attracted much interest in academic and industrial applications, such as soft robots, flexible electronics, and micro−nano devices. It remains a pivotal challenge to develop a stable and highly sensitive angle detection with a rapid response. Herein, we present an LM-based angle detection sensor. Ga-based LM is gradually injected into hollow fibers with rough internal structures, resulting in a gradient of LM content inside the fibers due to the synergistic effect of pressure drop and the fast formation of an oxide film on its surface. The LM is affected by the gravity pressure when the fiber is tilted, and the Laplace pressure on the surface of the LM continuously reaches an equilibrium state to induce the continuous deformation of the LM. The proposed sensor with highly sensitive to the tilt angle and showcases a linear relation with the tilt angle. For its advantages, this work shows a great potential application in sensor fields and opens routes for the application of electronic whiskers.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 96%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Liquid Metal-Based Angle Detection Sensor

Zhan

et al. 2023

ACS Appl. Electron. Mater.

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“…For flexible sensors, it is important to focus not only on the packaging layer’s ability to withstand the external environment but also on the properties of the sensing layer. Additionally, the sensing layer should be biologically friendly to prevent environmental hazards in the case of sensor damage or leakage. − Liquid metal (LM) alloys, such as gallium and indium, have attracted attention in recent years due to their flexibility, low toxicity, and electrical conductivity, making them promising materials for sensors and biological devices. ,− Sensing electronic whiskers, which rely on the hysteresis effect of LM, can be realized by leveraging the fluidic properties of LM . A tilt angle detection sensor can also be fabricated using LM .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pressure-Activatable Liquid Metal Composites Flexible Sensor with Antifouling and Drag Reduction Functional Surface

Ma,

Lu,

et al. 2023

ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces

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Flexible sensors produced through three-dimensional (3D) printing have exhibited promising results in the context of underwater sensing detection (for applications in navigational vehicles and human activities). However, underwater vehicles and activities such as swimming and diving are highly susceptible to drag, which can cause negative impacts such as reduced speed and increased energy consumption. Additionally, microbial adhesion can shorten the service life of these vehicles. However, natural organisms are able to circumvent such problems, with shark skin offering excellent barrier properties and ruffled papillae providing effective protection against fouling. Here, we show that a sandwich system consisting of a spraying layer, conductive elastomer composite, and encapsulation layer can be printed for multifunctional integrated underwater sensors. The modulated viscoelastic properties of liquid metal form the foundation for printing features, while its pressure-activated properties offer the potential for switchable sensors. An integrated drag reduction and antifouling layer were created by combining the shark skin surface shield scale structure with the lotus leaf surface papillae structure. A 3D-printed flexible sensor was designed using our approach to monitor attitude changes and strain in underwater environments, showcasing its capabilities. Our printed sensors can reduce biological attachment density by more than 50% and reduce underwater drag by 8.6−10.3%.

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Flexible Continuum Robot with Variable Stiffness, Shape‐Aware, and Self‐Heating Capabilities

Zhao,

Su,

et al. 2024

Advanced Intelligent Systems

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Conventional continuum robots have outstanding flexibility and dexterity. However, when the robot needs to interact with the environment, the softness may affect the performance of the robot. Especially in transport tasks, the softness of continuum robots can lead to handling failures and drastic drops in precision. The variable stiffness continuum robot combines the advantages of flexibility and rigidity, which is conducive to expanding the application scenarios of flexible continuum robots. This article proposes a flexible continuum robot that simultaneously realizes variable stiffness, shape‐aware, and self‐heating functions using liquid metal. The low‐temperature phase transition property of liquid metal is utilized to realize the variable stiffness function; the overall stiffness of the robot can reach the range of 18.5–183 N m−1, which can realize a tenfold stiffness gain. The conductivity of liquid metal is utilized to develop the shape‐aware function, and the monitoring accuracy is within 5%. At the same time, this article utilizes the liquid metal's resistive thermal effect to realize heating function, so that the robot no longer needs heating systems such as heating wires and can realize the phase transition by energizing itself. Based on this design, the robot arm can realize the transition between maximum and minimum stiffness within 240 s.

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Electronic whiskers for velocity sensing based on the liquid metal hysteresis effect

Abstract: The artificial biomimetic sensory hair as state-of-art electronics, has drawn great attention from academic theory to industrial production given its potential application in soft robotics, environmental exploration and health monitoring....

Cited by 8 publications

References 40 publications

Liquid Metal-Based Angle Detection Sensor

Liquid Metal-Based Angle Detection Sensor

Pressure-Activatable Liquid Metal Composites Flexible Sensor with Antifouling and Drag Reduction Functional Surface

Flexible Continuum Robot with Variable Stiffness, Shape‐Aware, and Self‐Heating Capabilities

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