High-Speed, Heavy-Load, and Direction-Controllable Photothermal Pneumatic Floating Robot

Abstract

Light-fueled actuators are promising in many fields due to their contactless, easily controllable, and eco-efficiency features. However, their application in liquid environments is complicated by the existing challenges of rapid deformation in liquids, light absorption of the liquid media, and environmental contamination. Here, we design a photothermal pneumatic floating robot (PPFR) using a boat-paddle structure. Light energy is converted into thermal energy of air by an isolated photothermal composite, which is then converted into mechanical energy of liquid to drive the movement of PPFRs. By understanding and controlling the photothermal actuation, the PPFR can achieve an average velocity of 13.1 mm s–1 in water and can be modified for remote on-demand differential steering and self-sustained oscillation. The PPFR may be modified to provide a lifting mechanism, capable of moving 4 times the PPFR mass. Various shapes and materials are suitable for the PPFR, providing a platform for liquid surface transporting, water sampling, pollutant collecting, underwater photography, and photocontrol robots in shallow water.

Design, Regulation, and Applications of Soft Actuators Based on Liquid-Crystalline Polymers and Their Composites

“…Recently, we successfully developed a series of composite materials that could swim on a water surface. 12,67 The selfpropelled swimming robot based on LCP/Kapton composites showed an extremely high swimming speed and direction controllability. 12 We even developed a self-actuated boat totally fueled by sunlight with high regulation accuracy.…”

“…12 We even developed a self-actuated boat totally fueled by sunlight with high regulation accuracy. 67 Fish swim not only by a reliance on the swing of fins but also by the buoyancy of the swim bladder, to achieve an adjustment of the swimming depth in the water. Recently, one typical 4-cyano-4′n-pentylbiphenyl (5CB) liquid crystal was added into an LCN, 68 and the volume of the fabricated materials changed greatly before and after illumination, so that the buoyancy was adjustable.…”

“…The operating environment of LCE-based soft actuators is not only limited to land but also continues to expand to the liquid surface and even below the liquid surface or into the sky. Recently, we successfully developed a series of composite materials that could swim on a water surface. , The self-propelled swimming robot based on LCP/Kapton composites showed an extremely high swimming speed and direction controllability . We even developed a self-actuated boat totally fueled by sunlight with high regulation accuracy .…”

Mechanically mutable polymer enabled by light

“…Light is among advantageous, since it can be remotely, instantly, and precisely controlled in one noncontact way (17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22). Therefore, the photocontrol of mechanical properties of soft materials should have remarkable superiority compared to other stimuli such as temperature, humidity, electrical, and magnetic fields (23,24).…”

Biobased Composites with High Lignin Content and Excellent Mechanical Properties toward the Ingenious Photoresponsive Actuator

“…One is photosensitive polymers with photoresponsive groups like azobenzene, − cinnamic groups, spiropyrans, spirooxazines, and axially chiral binaphthyl moieties. , The other is photoresponsive composite with photothermal fillers like gold nanorods, − carbon nanotubes, − and graphene. − Among them, photoresponsive composites have been extensively studied due to their ease of manufacture and low cost. Yu et al created an ecologically friendly photodynamic photothermal pneumatic floating robot that uses a graphene oxide composite to efficiently transform light energy into kinetic energy …”