The development of stimulus-responsive polymers has provided rich materials-related opportunities for the next generation of miniature, wirelessly controlled soft-body robots. Engineers have long known how to use these materials to create tiny robots that can walk, swim and jump. So far no one has been able to fly them.
Researchers from the Light Robotics Group at the University of Tampere are currently investigating ways to make smart materials fly. Hao ZenAcademy Researcher and Group Leader, and Jiangfeng Yangthe postdocs came up with a new design for their project called FAIRY – Flying Aerorobot Based on Light Responsive Materials AssemblyThey have developed a polymer assembly robot that flies on the wind and is controlled by light.
“Outperforming natural seeds, this artificial seed is equipped with a soft actuator. The actuator is made of a photo-responsive liquid crystal elastomer, and visible light excitation triggers the opening and closing motion of the bristles,” said Hao Zeng. I will explain.
Artificial fairies are ruled by light
The artificial fairies developed by Zeng and Yang have some biomimetic features. Due to its high porosity (0.95) and lightweight (1.2 mg) construction, it can be easily floated in the air by the wind. Long-distance wind-assisted driving is possible due to the stable generation of separated vortex rings.
“The fairies are powered and controlled by light sources such as laser beams and LEDs,” says Zeng.
This means that light can change the shape of small structures like dandelion seeds. Fairies can manually adapt to the direction and force of the wind by changing shape. Light beams can also be used to control the takeoff and landing behavior of polymer her assemblies.
Potential application opportunities in agriculture
The researchers will then focus on improving the material’s sensitivity to allow the device to operate in sunlight. In addition, we will expand the structure so that it can be loaded with microelectronic devices such as GPS and sensors, as well as biochemical compounds.
According to Zeng, there is the potential for even more important applications.
“Although it sounds sci-fi, the proof-of-concept experiments included in our research show that the robot we have developed provides an important step towards a suitable and realistic application for artificial pollination. I will,” he reveals.
In the future, millions of pollen-carrying artificial dandelion seeds could be freely disseminated by natural winds and steered by light toward certain areas of trees waiting to be pollinated.
“The loss of pollinators due to global warming poses a serious threat to biodiversity and food production, so this will have a major impact on global agriculture,” says Zeng.
Issue still unresolved
However, many issues need to be resolved. For example, how to precisely control the landing site, or how to recycle the device and make it biodegradable? These questions require close collaboration with materials scientists and those working on microrobotics. am.
Original: Fairy-like robot that flies in the sky with the power of wind and light
Than: University of Tampere
