Symmetry-breaking Actuation Mechanism for Soft Robotics and Active Metamaterials

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel programmable magnetic-responsive composite with a multifunctional joint design that enables asymmetric multimodal actuation, significantly expanding the capabilities of soft robotics and active metamaterials.

Contribution

The work presents a new class of composites with asymmetric multimodal actuation, allowing for versatile shape-shifting and dynamic behaviors in soft robots and metamaterials.

Findings

Enables asymmetric multimodal actuation in soft composites

Demonstrates applications in shape-shifting, crawling, and swimming robots

Provides tunable properties in 2D metamaterials

Abstract

Magnetic-responsive composites that consist of soft matrix embedded with hard-magnetic particles have recently been demonstrated as robust soft active materials for fast-transforming actuation. However, the deformation of the functional components commonly attains only a single actuation mode under external stimuli, which limits their capability of achieving tunable properties. To greatly enhance the versatility of soft active materials, we exploit a new class of programmable magnetic-responsive composites incorporated with a multifunctional joint design that allows asymmetric multimodal actuation under an external stimulation. We demonstrate that the proposed asymmetric multimodal actuation enables a plethora of novel applications ranging from the basic 1D/2D active structures with asymmetric shape-shifting to biomimetic crawling and swimming robots with efficient dynamic performance as well as 2D metamaterials with tunable properties. This new asymmetric multimodal actuation mechanism will open new avenues for the design of next-generation multifunctional soft robots, biomedical devices, and acoustic metamaterials.