Dai Shen, Ling Zhiyao, Gong Han, Zheng Kunwei
School of Optoelectronic and Communication Engineering, Xiamen University of Technology, Xiamen 361024, China.
Micromachines (Basel). 2025 Apr 11;16(4):456. doi: 10.3390/mi16040456.
Flexible actuators hold significant promise for applications in intelligent robotics, wearable devices, and biomimetic systems. However, conventional actuators face challenges such as high driving voltages, inadequate deformation control, and limited deformation modes, which hinder complex programmable dynamic deformations. This study presents an electrothermal actuator based on a conductive silver paste/Kapton/PDMS composite structure, enabling precise and adjustable deformation through programmable thermal control. Experimental results show that the actuator achieves a large-angle bending (∼203°) within 12 s under a low driving voltage of 2.0 V. Compared to the PTFE/MXene/PI structure, the proposed actuator achieves a 64% increase in bending angle, a 70% reduction in response time, and a 67% decrease in driving voltage. By independently controlling multiple heating elements, the actuator exhibits programmable deformation modes, including local, symmetric, and sinusoidal bending. The relationship between input voltage and deformation amplitude is described using a sinusoidal function model, experimentally validated for accuracy. Compared to traditional actuators, the proposed design offers significant improvements in bending angle, response speed, and voltage requirements. By optimizing the conductive silver paste pattern and voltage input strategy, this work develops a low-voltage, highly controllable, multi-mode programmable actuator with potential for applications in flexible robotics and space-deformable antennas.
柔性致动器在智能机器人、可穿戴设备和仿生系统等应用中具有巨大潜力。然而，传统致动器面临诸如驱动电压高、变形控制不足以及变形模式有限等挑战，这些阻碍了复杂的可编程动态变形。本研究提出了一种基于导电银浆/聚酰亚胺薄膜/聚二甲基硅氧烷复合结构的电热致动器，通过可编程热控制实现精确且可调节的变形。实验结果表明，该致动器在2.0 V的低驱动电压下12秒内实现了大角度弯曲（约203°）。与聚四氟乙烯/碳化钛铝 MAX 相/聚酰亚胺结构相比，所提出的致动器弯曲角度增加了64%，响应时间减少了70%，驱动电压降低了67%。通过独立控制多个加热元件，该致动器展现出可编程变形模式，包括局部、对称和正弦弯曲。使用正弦函数模型描述了输入电压与变形幅度之间的关系，并通过实验验证了其准确性。与传统致动器相比，所提出的设计在弯曲角度、响应速度和电压要求方面有显著改进。通过优化导电银浆图案和电压输入策略，这项工作开发出一种低电压、高度可控、多模式可编程致动器，具有在柔性机器人和空间可变形天线中的应用潜力。
