Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, 12 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Harvard University, 29 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
Adv Mater. 2015 Nov 4;27(41):6323-7. doi: 10.1002/adma.201503188. Epub 2015 Sep 21.
Soft, pneumatic actuators that buckle when interior pressure is less than exterior provide a new mechanism of actuation. Upon application of negative pneumatic pressure, elastic beam elements in these actuators undergo reversible, cooperative collapse, and generate a rotational motion. These actuators are inexpensive to fabricate, lightweight, easy to control, and safe to operate. They can be used in devices that manipulate objects, locomote, or interact cooperatively with humans.
当内部压力小于外部压力时会弯曲的柔软气动致动器提供了一种新的致动机制。在施加负压时,这些致动器中的弹性梁元件经历可逆的协同塌缩,并产生旋转运动。这些致动器制造便宜、重量轻、易于控制且操作安全。它们可用于操纵物体、移动或与人类协作的设备。