Engineers at the University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) just so happened to develop a material that first deforms when heated and then pops into the air. Researchers say the material may one day be used to help soft robots jump and lift objects.
As part of the study, researcher Taylor Hebner, who will receive a PhD in chemical and bioengineering at CU Boulder in 2022, and her colleagues explored how a class of materials known as liquid crystalline elastomers behaved when exposed to ultraviolet light. I was looking into how it would work. heat. These materials are solidified, elastic versions of liquid crystals used within displays such as laptop screens and televisions, and may be used in windshields to prevent pilots from being temporarily blinded by laser pointers. There is even
“I was watching the liquid crystal elastomer sit on the hot plate and wondering why it wasn’t shaping up the way I expected it to,” Hebner said. said. We were looking at each other with confusion and excitement. “
Further investigation with colleagues at Caltech revealed that the cause of the jumping behavior was due to the fact that the film, about the size of a contact lens, consisted of three layers. When heated, the top two layers of her shrink faster than the bottom layer, forming a cone. Eventually the build-up of tension causes the cone to flip over and hit the surface being heated and bounce into the air. In tests, researchers found that the film bounced almost 200 times its thickness in just 6 milliseconds.
“When that reversal occurs, the material snaps through and pops off the surface, like a child’s popper toy,” said study co-author Timothy White, professor of chemical and bioengineering at CU Boulder. increase. In this regard, research conducted at Harvard University in 2020 reflects actuators inspired by the Popper toy design, which may one day help soft robots traverse tough terrain.
Researchers compare the film’s action to the way grasshoppers achieve impressive leaps, and believe there is also a place in the development of soft robots. At the same speed as humans using light and magnetic fields.
“In nature, many adaptations, such as grasshopper legs, exploit stored energy, such as elastic instability. We are trying to create synthetic materials that emulate these natural properties.” increase.”
As part of clarifying the structure of the film used, the research team discovered that cooling the material instead of heating it can also jump. They also say that adding legs to the film allows the material to gain directional control. , feel this discovery will help add to our knowledge on how to improve the capabilities of these innovative machines. Energy under certain conditions.
“This is a powerful example of how the fundamental concepts we study can be transformed into designs that work in complex and surprising ways,” said Hebner. .
A study was published in a journal scientific progressYou can see the material in action in the video below.
Wait…Jump!
Source: CU Boulder
