Ayush M. Patil, Atharv S. Pakmode, Rishi Jain, Rupali D. Rode · 5 authors
Swarm robotics is a broad area of study that looks at the collective behavior of many autonomous robots to complete challenging tasks. Swarm robotics attempts to take advantage of the power of decentralization and self-organization to achieve adaptability, scalability, and robustness in robotic systems by taking inspiration from the collective behavior of natural swarms, such as ants, bees, and schools of fish.
In Ho Kim, Subi Choi, Jieun Lee, Jiyoung Jung · 11 authors
Artificial muscles are indispensable components for next-generation robotics capable of mimicking sophisticated movements of living systems. However, an optimal combination of actuation parameters, including strain, stress, energy density and high mechanical strength, is required for their practical applications. Here we report mammalian-skeletal-muscle-inspired single fibres and bundles with large and strong contractive actuation. The use of exfoliated graphene fillers within a uniaxial liquid crystalline matrix enables photothermal actuation with large work capacity and rapid response. Moreover, the reversible percolation of graphene fillers induced by the thermodynamic conformational transition of mesoscale structures can be in situ monitored by electrical switching. Such a dynamic percolation behaviour effectively strengthens the mechanical properties of the actuator fibres, particularly in the contracted actuation state, enabling mammalian-muscle-like reliable reversible actuation. Taking advantage of a mechanically compliant fibre structure, smart actuators are readily integrated into strong bundles as well as high-power soft robotics with light-driven remote control.