Volume 199, 2017

Challenges in realizing a self-contained hydraulically-driven contractile fiber actuator

Abstract

The field of soft robots would benefit from electrically controlled contractile actuators in the form of fibers that achieve a strain of 20% in less than a second while exerting high force. This work explores possible designs for achieving this goal using self-contained electroosmotic fluid pumping within a tube-shaped structure. The most promising configuration is a combination of a bellows and a McKibben-type muscle, since pumping fluid from the former to the latter results in contraction of both portions. Realizing such a device entails challenges in fabrication and electrokinetic fluid pumping in closed systems. Further studies of electroosmotic flow in salt-free organic solvents are needed.

Associated articles

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
21 Nov 2016
Accepted
16 Jan 2017
First published
04 May 2017

Faraday Discuss., 2017,199, 465-485

Challenges in realizing a self-contained hydraulically-driven contractile fiber actuator

E. Smela, Faraday Discuss., 2017, 199, 465 DOI: 10.1039/C6FD00235H

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