Multi-stimulus artificial muscles based on Ni-MOF for Humming bird soft robotics

Abstract

For many years, artificial muscles, also called ionic actuators, have been promoted as the most suitable technology for use in wearable robots, haptic devices, flexible devices, soft robotics, and others, taking advantage of large deformations at ultra-low voltages (~0.5V). However, ionic actuators are electrical energy only, and have limitations that are driven using the volume difference of positive and negative ions within the electrolyte. For use in practical engineering, we use Ni-MOF for electrodes that can receive both electrical and magnetic stimulation. The above actuator showed a very fast reaction rate of 1.52 s at DC 0.5 V stimulation and a bending of about 4 times larger than the PEDOT:PSS alone actuator, and similarly showed bending deformation more than 4 times larger at AC stimulation, with a size of 30 mm, which is the largest ionic actuator ever studied. Due to the porous nature of Ni-MOF, it has high electrical conductivity and electrical capacity, and has succeeded in developing ionic actuators that produce the largest deformation. Using this, Ni-MOF was added to the end of the electrolyte to create a driveable system with magnetic stimulation, which showed greater performance. In conclusion, a soft robot was developed that uses electrical and magnetic impulses to fly and move like hummingbirds.