Active surface of soft elastomeric actuators for engineering applications to haptic interface and anisotropic wetting

Abstract

The focus of this dissertation is on a haptic interface surface and anisotropic wetting control surface by using a surface deformation of a soft elastomer. Surface roughness control through surface morphological deformation, which is not possible on a surface of rigid materials, can be achieved through a structural design of the elastomeric film. In the haptic interface, the soft elastomer film having a void pattern produced a difference in a stiffness between the void-line and the other part, and various surface texture by controlling the wavelength and amplitude of 16 independent void-lines. Also the mechanical and electrical properties of the used materials, such as AgNWs and graphene electrode and elastomeric material, were analyzed. In the wrinkled surface, the wrinkled structure on the elastomer surface gives directional actuation in a macro scale and anisotropic wettability in a micro scale, by controlling the height and wavelength of the wrinkles using an elastomeric actuation mechanism. Using a simple operating principle and an easy fabrication process of the tunable surface, they can be applied to various fields such as wearable devices, haptic device, hydrophilic/phobic control device, meta-surface. In addition, carbonized PG/PEI nanomaterial was synthesized and applied to the damaged and oxidized graphene surface to investigate the sealing effect of the nanosealant.