Zhai Yichen, Wang Zhijian, Kwon Kye-Si, Cai Shengqiang, Lipomi Darren J, Ng Tse Nga
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
Adv Mater. 2021 May;33(19):e2002541. doi: 10.1002/adma.202002541. Epub 2020 Nov 1.
Haptic actuators generate touch sensations and provide realism and depth in human-machine interactions. A new generation of soft haptic interfaces is desired to produce the distributed signals over large areas that are required to mimic natural touch interactions. One promising approach is to combine the advantages of organic actuator materials and additive printing technologies. This powerful combination can lead to devices that are ergonomic, readily customizable, and economical for researchers to explore potential benefits and create new haptic applications. Here, an overview of emerging organic actuator materials and digital printing technologies for fabricating haptic actuators is provided. In particular, the focus is on the challenges and potential solutions associated with integration of multi-material actuators, with an eye toward improving the fidelity and robustness of the printing process. Then the progress in achieving compact, lightweight haptic actuators by using an open-source extrusion printer to integrate different polymers and composites in freeform designs is reported. Two haptic interfaces-a tactile surface and a kinesthetic glove-are demonstrated to show that printing with organic materials is a versatile approach for rapid prototyping of various types of haptic devices.
触觉致动器能产生触感，并在人机交互中提供真实感和深度。人们期望新一代的柔软触觉接口能在大面积上产生分布式信号，以模拟自然触摸交互。一种很有前景的方法是将有机致动器材料和增材印刷技术的优势结合起来。这种强大的组合可以制造出符合人体工程学、易于定制且经济实惠的设备，便于研究人员探索潜在益处并创造新的触觉应用。在此，本文对用于制造触觉致动器的新兴有机致动器材料和数字印刷技术进行了概述。特别关注的是与多材料致动器集成相关的挑战及潜在解决方案，旨在提高印刷过程的保真度和稳健性。接着报告了通过使用开源挤出打印机以自由形式设计集成不同聚合物和复合材料来实现紧凑、轻质触觉致动器的进展。展示了两个触觉接口——一个触觉表面和一个动觉手套，以表明使用有机材料进行印刷是快速原型制作各种触觉设备的通用方法。
