Toward a Multifunctional Light-Driven Biomimetic Mudskipper-Like Robot for Various Application Scenarios

Abstract

The systematicness, flexibility, and complexity of natural biological organisms are a constant stream of inspiration for researchers. Therefore, mimicking the natural intelligence system to develop microrobotics has attracted broad interests. However, developing a multifunctional device for various application scenarios has great challenges. Herein, we present a bionic multifunctional actuation devicea light-driven mudskipper-like actuator that is composed of a porous silicone elastomer and graphene oxide. The actuator exhibits a reversible and wellintegrated response to near-infrared (NIR) light due to the photothermal-induced contractile stress in the actuation film, which promotes generation of cyclical and rapid locomotion upon NIR light being switched on and off, such as bending in air and crawling in liquid. Furthermore, through rational device design and modulation of light, the mechanically versatile device can float and swim controllably following a predesigned route at the liquid/air interface. More interestingly, the actuator can jump from liquid medium to air with an extremely short response time (400 ms), a maximum speed of 2 m s −1 , and a height of 14.3 cm under the stimulation of near-infrared light. The present work possesses great potential in the applications of bioinspired actuators in various fields, such as microrobots, sensors, and locomotion.

Small‐Scale Robotics with Tailored Wettability

“…Generally, stimuli-responsive macromolecules can recognize and change their spatial configuration upon exposure to external stimuli, including physical stimuli such as changes in light and temperature, and chemical stimuli such as pH and ion concentration. [168][169][170][171][172][173][174] Therein, temperature-sensitive hydrogels are commonly used as building blocks or surface grafting layers in soft robots. Most small molecules exhibit an upper critical solution temperature phase transition, wherein phase separation is triggered by cooling.…”

A multi-stimulus-responsive bionic fish microrobot for remote intelligent control applications

“…[5][6][7][8] Different from the traditional rigid microrobots, hydrogel-based microrobots have smaller and more flexible bodies, so they are better able to achieve complex and flexible motions. [8][9][10][11][12] Due to their ability to transform chemical, optical, [13][14][15] electrical 16,17 and magnetic 18,19 stimuli into mechanical energy, [20][21][22] these microrobots have been widely used in biomimetic [23][24][25][26][27] and intelligent transportation. [28][29][30][31] As we all know, fish can perform a variety of flexible motions in the water, which endows them with the adaptability to different environments.…”

Fish-like magnetic microrobots for microparts transporting at liquid surfaces

“…By contrast, external field actuation offers the high possibility of the miniaturization of robots in various environments. Currently, several types of external field, such as ultrasonic, [13][14][15][16] light, [17][18][19][20][21][22] electrical field [23][24][25][26] and magnetic fields, [27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39] have been reported for actuation. Compared with other external fields, magnetic fields have the advantages of biocompatibility and flexible control.…”