By The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) January 26, 2024Researchers have actually developed a soft fluidic switch using ionic polymer artificial muscles, efficient in running at ultra-low power and producing a force 34 times its weight. This advancement uses possible applications in soft robotics, biomedical gadgets, and microfluidics by specifically controlling fluid circulation in narrow spaces. The image above depicts the separation of fluid droplets using a soft fluid switch at ultra-low voltage. Credit: KAIST Soft Robotics & & Intelligent Materials LabSoft robotics, medical devices, and wearable devices are now common in our daily routines. Researchers at KAIST have produced a fluid switch that uses ionic polymer synthetic muscles. This switch works with ultra-low power while generating a force 34 times its own weight. Fluid switches are developed to direct the circulation of fluid, guiding it in particular directions to start different movements.KAIST (President Kwang-Hyung Lee) announced on the 4th of January that a research group under Professor IlKwon Oh from the Department of Mechanical Engineering has actually established a soft fluidic switch that runs at ultra-low voltage and can be utilized in narrow spaces.Artificial Muscles in Modern TechnologyArtificial muscles mimic human muscles and provide versatile and natural movements compared to standard motors, making them among the standard elements utilized in soft robotics, medical gadgets, and wearable gadgets. These synthetic muscles create motions in reaction to external stimuli such as electricity, atmospheric pressure, and temperature changes, and in order to use artificial muscles, it is essential to manage these movements precisely.Switches based on existing motors were hard to utilize within limited spaces due to their rigidity and large size. In order to deal with these issues, the research study group established an electro-ionic soft actuator that can manage fluid circulation while producing big quantities of force, even in a narrow pipeline, and used it as a soft fluidic switch.The synthesis and usage of pS-COF as a common electrode-electrolyte host for electroactive soft fluid switches. A) The synthesis schematic of pS-COF. B) The schematic diagram of the operating concept of the electrochemical soft switch. C) The schematic diagram of using a pS-COF-based electrochemical soft switch to manage fluid flow in dynamic operation. Credit: KAIST Soft Robotics & & Intelligent Materials Lab.The ionic polymer artificial muscle established by the research study team is made up of metal electrodes and ionic polymers, and it creates force and motion in reaction to electricity. A polysulfonated covalent natural structure (pS-COF) made by combining natural particles on the surface area of the artificial muscle electrode was utilized to create a remarkable amount of force relative to its weight with ultra-low power (~ 0.01 V). Achievements of the ResearchAs an outcome, the synthetic muscle, which was made to be as thin as a hair with a thickness of 180 µm, produced a force more than 34 times higher than its lightweight of 10 mg to initiate smooth motion. Through this, the research study team was able to specifically manage the direction of fluid flow with low power.Professor IlKwon Oh, who led this research study, said, “The electrochemical soft fluidic switch that runs at ultra-low power can open numerous possibilities in the fields of soft robotics, soft electronics, and microfluidics based upon fluid control.” He added, “From smart fibers to biomedical gadgets, this innovation has the possible to be instantly used in a variety of commercial settings as it can be easily applied to ultra-small electronic systems in our day-to-day lives.”Reference: “Polysulfonated covalent organic framework as active electrode host for mobile cation visitors in electrochemical soft actuator” by Manmatha Mahato, Mousumi Garai, Van Hiep Nguyen, Saewoong Oh, Sanghee Nam, Xiangrong Zeng, Hyunjoon Yoo, Rassoul Tabassian and Il-Kwon Oh, 13 December 2023, Science Advances.DOI: 10.1126/ sciadv.adk9752This research study was performed with assistance from the National Research Foundation of Koreas Leader Scientist Support Project (Creative Research Group) and Future Convergence Pioneer Project.
The image above illustrates the separation of fluid droplets using a soft fluid switch at ultra-low voltage. Fluid switches are developed to direct the flow of fluid, guiding it in specific directions to start different movements.KAIST (President Kwang-Hyung Lee) revealed on the 4th of January that a research study team under Professor IlKwon Oh from the Department of Mechanical Engineering has developed a soft fluidic switch that runs at ultra-low voltage and can be utilized in narrow spaces.Artificial Muscles in Modern TechnologyArtificial muscles imitate human muscles and offer versatile and natural motions compared to traditional motors, making them one of the fundamental components used in soft robotics, medical gadgets, and wearable devices. In order to deal with these problems, the research study team developed an electro-ionic soft actuator that can manage fluid flow while producing large amounts of force, even in a narrow pipe, and utilized it as a soft fluidic switch.The synthesis and usage of pS-COF as a typical electrode-electrolyte host for electroactive soft fluid switches.
