Dewang Yogesh, Sharma Vipin, Baliyan Vijay Kumar, Soundappan Thiagarajan, Singla Yogesh Kumar
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Lakshmi Narain College of Technology, Bhopal 462021, India.
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Medi-Caps University, Indore 453331, India.
Polymers (Basel). 2025 Mar 12;17(6):746. doi: 10.3390/polym17060746.
Soft robots, constructed from deformable materials, offer significant advantages over rigid robots by mimicking biological tissues and providing enhanced adaptability, safety, and functionality across various applications. Central to these robots are electroactive polymer (EAP) actuators, which allow large deformations in response to external stimuli. This review examines various EAP actuators, including dielectric elastomers, liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs), and ionic polymers, focusing on their potential as artificial muscles. EAPs, particularly ionic and electronic varieties, are noted for their high actuation strain, flexibility, lightweight nature, and energy efficiency, making them ideal for applications in mechatronics, robotics, and biomedical engineering. This review also highlights piezoelectric polymers like polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), known for their flexibility, biocompatibility, and ease of fabrication, contributing to tactile and pressure sensing in robotic systems. Additionally, conducting polymers, with their fast actuation speeds and high strain capabilities, are explored, alongside magnetic polymer composites (MPCs) with applications in biomedicine and electronics. The integration of machine learning (ML) and the Internet of Things (IoT) is transforming soft robotics, enhancing actuation, control, and design. Finally, the paper discusses future directions in soft robotics, focusing on self-healing composites, bio-inspired designs, sustainability, and the continued integration of IoT and ML for intelligent, adaptive, and responsive robotic systems.
由可变形材料制成的软机器人通过模仿生物组织并在各种应用中提供增强的适应性、安全性和功能性，比刚性机器人具有显著优势。这些机器人的核心是电活性聚合物（EAP）致动器，它能响应外部刺激产生大变形。本文综述了各种EAP致动器，包括介电弹性体、液晶弹性体（LCE）和离子聚合物，重点关注它们作为人造肌肉的潜力。EAP，特别是离子型和电子型EAP，以其高驱动应变、柔韧性、轻质特性和能源效率而闻名，使其非常适合用于机电一体化、机器人技术和生物医学工程领域的应用。本文还重点介绍了聚偏二氟乙烯（PVDF）等压电聚合物，它们以柔韧性、生物相容性和易于制造而著称，有助于机器人系统中的触觉和压力传感。此外，还探讨了具有快速驱动速度和高应变能力的导电聚合物，以及在生物医学和电子领域有应用的磁性聚合物复合材料（MPC）。机器学习（ML）和物联网（IoT）的集成正在改变软机器人技术，提升驱动、控制和设计水平。最后，本文讨论了软机器人技术的未来发展方向，重点关注自修复复合材料、仿生设计、可持续性，以及物联网和机器学习在智能、自适应和响应式机器人系统中的持续集成。
