(Angew. Chem. Int. Ed.) Springtail-inspired Light-driven Soft Jumping Robots based on Liquid Crystal Elastomers with Monolithic Three-leaf Panel Fold Structure
writer：Hu, J.; Nie, Z.; Wang, M.; Liu, Z.; Huang, S.; Yang, H.*
keywords：Liquid Crystal Elastomer
source：期刊
specific source：Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2023, 62, e202218227
Issue time：2023年
Jump is an important form of motion that enables animals to escape from predators,
increase their range of activities, and better adapt to the environment.
Inspired by springtails, we describe a light-driven soft jumping robot based on
a double-folded liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) ribbon
actuator with a monolithic three-leaf panel fold structure. This robot can
achieve remarkable jumping height, jumping distance, and maximum take-off
velocity, of up to 87 body
length (BL), 65 BL, and 930 BL/s, respectively, under near-infrared light
irradiation. Further, it is possible to control the height, distance, and
direction of jump by changing the size and crease angle of the double-folded
LCE ribbon actuators. These robots can efficiently jump over obstacles
and can jump continuously, even in complex environments. Our simple design strategy
improves the performance of jumping actuators and we expect it to have a wide-ranging
impact on the strength, continuity, and adaptability of future soft robots.