Title: Miniaturized Swimming Soft Robot with Complex Movement Actuated and Controlled by Remote Light Signals

Author: Chaolei Huang, Jiu-an Lv, Xiaojun Tian*, Yuechao Wang, Yanlei Yu*, Jie Liu*

Journal: Sci. Rep., 2015, 5, 17414

Abstract:

Powering and communication with micro robots to enable complex functions is a long-standing challenge as the size of robots continues to shrink. Physical connection of wires or components needed for wireless communication are complex and limited by the size of electronic and energy storage devices, making miniaturization of robots difficult. To explore an alternative solution, we designed and fabricated a micro soft swimming robot with both powering and controlling functions provided by remote light, which does not carry any electronic devices and batteries. In this approach, a polymer film containing azobenzene chromophore which is sensitive to ultra-violet (UV) light works as “motor”, and the UV light and visible light work as “power and signal lines”. Periodically flashing UV light and white light drives the robot flagellum periodically to swing to eventually push forward the robot in the glass tube filled with liquid. The gripper on robot head can be opened or closed by lights to grab and carry the load. This kind of remotely light-driven approach realizes complex driving and controlling of micro robotic structures, making it possible to design and fabricate even smaller robots. It will have great potential among applications in the micro machine and robot fields.

Fulltext Link: https://www.nature.com/articles/srep17414

We fabricate this light-driven micro swimming robot with gripper based on light-driven liquid-crystal film (LDLCF), to realize the complex movements like swimming, grabbing, carrying and transportation. As the robot has “hand” to capture and transport objects and it is driven and controlled by lights without any lines and electromagnetic noise, it can be used in long and narrow liquid environment such as in microfluidic device and system, or in electromagnetic noise sensitive situation, to play a versatile role for capture, transportation, manipulation etc. The experimental results prove that this light-driven mode can realize non-contact energy supply, driving and complex movement control. As this approach doesn’t need any battery or power line, information processing unit and lines or any motor and transmission mechanisms, it greatly simplifies the structure of the robots. Such simple and micro robots will have great potential among applications in the micro machine and robot fields.