Visible Light Responsive Soft Actuator Based on PVA‐DR1

Abstract

There is a growing interest in creating biomimetic actuators that can perform human‐like actions in response to external stimuli. Despite the significant advancements in soft actuators, using high‐energy UV light in photoresponsive actuators remains a great challenge. Herein, we develop a film composed of polyvinyl alcohol and photo responsive Disperse Red 1 (PVA/DR1) that actuate in response to visible light. The photoresponsive film starts to actuate in the presence of green light due to trans→cis isomerization of photoresponsive dye. The actuation response of the films was investigated by varying concentrations of DR1 dye and the intensity of green light. Based on these features, we demonstrated a four‐arm soft‐gripper that can mimic human‐hand‐like motions in response to green light. This kind of actuator may find potential applications in soft robotics and biomimetic microgrippers.