Xin Yangyang, Zhou Xinran, Tan Ming Rui Joel, Chen Shaohua, Huang Peiwen, Jiang Yawei, Wu Wenting, Gao Dace, Lv Jian, Magdassi Shlomo, Lee Pooi See
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798, Singapore.
Singapore-HUJ Alliance for Research and Enterprise (SHARE), Smart Grippers for Soft Robotics (SGSR)Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore, 138602, Singapore.
Adv Mater. 2025 Feb;37(7):e2415210. doi: 10.1002/adma.202415210. Epub 2025 Jan 2.
This study introduces advancements in electrohydrodynamic (EHD) pumps and the development of a 3D-printable anti-swelling organohydrogel for soft robotics. Using digital light processing (DLP)technology, precise components with less than 1% size variation are fabricated, enabling a unique manifold pump array. This design achieves an output pressure of 90.2 kPa-18 times higher than traditional configurations-and a flow rate of 800 mL min, surpassing previous EHD pumps. To address swelling issues in dielectric liquids, a novel organohydrogel is developed with Young's modulus of 0.33 MPa, 300% stretchability, and a swelling ratio under 10%. Its low swelling is attributed to the shield effect and edge length confinement effect. This durable material ensures consistent pump performance under mechanical stresses like bending and twisting, crucial for dynamic soft robotic environments. These innovations significantly improve EHD pump efficiency and reliability, expanding their potential applications in soft robotics, bioengineering, and vertical farming.
本研究介绍了电流体动力学（EHD）泵的进展以及用于软机器人技术的可3D打印抗溶胀有机水凝胶的开发。利用数字光处理（DLP）技术，制造出尺寸变化小于1%的精密部件，从而实现了独特的歧管泵阵列。这种设计实现了90.2 kPa的输出压力——比传统配置高18倍——以及800 mL/min的流速，超过了以前的EHD泵。为了解决介电液体中的溶胀问题，开发了一种新型有机水凝胶，其杨氏模量为0.33 MPa，拉伸率为300%，溶胀率低于10%。其低溶胀归因于屏蔽效应和边长限制效应。这种耐用材料可确保在弯曲和扭转等机械应力下泵的性能保持一致，这对动态软机器人环境至关重要。这些创新显著提高了EHD泵的效率和可靠性，扩大了它们在软机器人技术、生物工程和垂直农业中的潜在应用。
