Articles tagged with Thermal Actuators
Researchers introduce HydroSpread, a new fabrication method for creating soft robots that can move and adapt on their own. The technology uses liquid polymer to create ultrathin, uniform sheets on water's surface, allowing for complex patterns and controlled movement.
A new fiber with a sponge-like interior offers improved thermal management and durability. The fiber's phase-change core absorbs and releases heat slowly, maintaining comfort in extreme temperatures.
Researchers at City University of Hong Kong developed a novel, wearable, olfaction feedback system with wireless capabilities for virtual reality. The system releases various odours using miniaturized odour generators and has been tested with an average success rate of 93 percent.
Researchers developed a temperature-modulating robotic system to study honeybee behavior in winter, demonstrating its ability to influence movement and prolong colony survival. The system also revealed previously unreported dynamics and shed light on critical periods for bee development.
The caterpillar-bot uses a novel pattern of silver nanowires to control its movement, with the ability to steer in both directions and navigate through tight spaces. The robot's movement is driven by heating and cooling cycles that allow it to 'relax' before contracting again.
Scientists from NC State University have discovered a way to manipulate the flow of heat through ferroelectric materials by applying different electric fields. The study, published in Advanced Materials, found that varying electric field strengths, types (AC/DC), time, and frequency can alter the thermal properties of these materials.
Scientists have successfully demonstrated light-induced locomotion in a nonliquid environment using antimony telluride plates. The new type of motion, driven by thermal effects, enables efficient actuation in vacuum systems, opening up possibilities for mobile photonic modulation and multimode micro robots.
Researchers at Duke University developed a lightweight material that traps thermal energy when dry but opens tiny vents to let heat escape when a person starts sweating. The material has potential as a patch on clothing to help keep the wearer comfortable, expanding thermal comfort zones by 30%.
A new design for thermal actuators accelerates soft robotic movement by exploiting temperature-dependent bi-stability. The structure changes shape in response to heat, allowing for rapid snapping actions. Prototypes demonstrate rapid movement capabilities, paving the way for biomedical, prosthetic, and manufacturing applications.
Researchers have developed a new fiber that offers higher tensile stroke and is triggered at temperatures lower than its predecessors, with potential applications in medical devices and self-healing materials. The fiber's unique geometry provides greater flexibility and thermal expansion/contraction properties.
Scientists have developed sheets of single-walled nanotubes that generate higher stresses than natural muscle and higher strains than high-modulus ferroelectrics. The carbon nanotube actuators work in aqueous environments, including salt water, and require small voltages to produce large length changes.