Ha Jonghyun, Kim Yun Seong, Li Chengzhang, Hwang Jonghyun, Leung Sze Chai, Siu Ryan, Tawfick Sameh
Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ajou University, Suwon 16499, Republic of Korea.
Sci Adv. 2023 Jun 30;9(26):eadh1321. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adh1321.
Soft robotics offer unusual bioinspired solutions to challenging engineering problems. Colorful display and morphing appendages are vital signaling modalities used by natural creatures to camouflage, attract mates, or deter predators. Engineering these display capabilities using traditional light emitting devices is energy expensive and bulky and requires rigid substrates. Here, we use capillary-controlled robotic flapping fins to create switchable visual contrast and produce state-persistent, multipixel displays that are 1000- and 10-fold more energy efficient than light emitting devices and electronic paper, respectively. We reveal the bimorphic ability of these fins, whereby they switch between straight or bent stable equilibria. By controlling the droplets temperature across the fins, the multifunctional cells simultaneously exhibit infrared signals decoupled from the optical signals for multispectral display. The ultralow power, scalability, and mechanical compliance make them suitable for curvilinear and soft machines.
软机器人技术为具有挑战性的工程问题提供了不同寻常的仿生解决方案。色彩斑斓的展示和可变形的附属肢体是自然生物用于伪装、吸引配偶或威慑捕食者的重要信号传递方式。使用传统发光设备来设计这些展示功能既耗能又笨重，还需要刚性基板。在此，我们利用毛细管控制的机器人扑动鳍片来创造可切换的视觉对比度，并产生状态持久的多像素显示器，其能量效率分别比发光设备和电子纸高1000倍和10倍。我们揭示了这些鳍片的双形态能力，即它们能在笔直或弯曲的稳定平衡状态之间切换。通过控制鳍片上液滴的温度，多功能单元同时展现出与光信号解耦的红外信号，用于多光谱显示。超低功耗、可扩展性和机械柔顺性使其适用于曲线形和柔性机器。
