Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Heisenbergstraße 3, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany.
Cornell University, 324 Rhodes Hall, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
Adv Mater. 2017 Apr;29(13). doi: 10.1002/adma.201603483. Epub 2016 Dec 29.
This review comprises a detailed survey of ongoing methodologies for soft actuators, highlighting approaches suitable for nanometer- to centimeter-scale robotic applications. Soft robots present a special design challenge in that their actuation and sensing mechanisms are often highly integrated with the robot body and overall functionality. When less than a centimeter, they belong to an even more special subcategory of robots or devices, in that they often lack on-board power, sensing, computation, and control. Soft, active materials are particularly well suited for this task, with a wide range of stimulants and a number of impressive examples, demonstrating large deformations, high motion complexities, and varied multifunctionality. Recent research includes both the development of new materials and composites, as well as novel implementations leveraging the unique properties of soft materials.
这篇综述详细调查了当前用于软致动器的方法，重点介绍了适用于纳米到厘米级机器人应用的方法。软机器人的设计提出了一个特殊的挑战，因为它们的致动和传感机制通常与机器人主体和整体功能高度集成。当小于一厘米时，它们属于机器人或设备的一个更特殊的子类别，因为它们通常缺乏板载电源、传感、计算和控制。软活性材料特别适合这项任务，有广泛的刺激物和许多令人印象深刻的例子，展示了大变形、高运动复杂性和多样的多功能性。最近的研究包括新材料和复合材料的开发，以及利用软材料独特特性的新实现。
