Blooming Knit Flowers: Loop-Linked Soft Morphing Structures for Soft Robotics

Min-Woo Han; Sung-Hoon Ahn

doi:10.1002/adma.201606580

Blooming Knit Flowers: Loop-Linked Soft Morphing Structures for Soft Robotics

Adv Mater. 2017 Apr;29(13). doi: 10.1002/adma.201606580. Epub 2017 Feb 6.

Authors

Min-Woo Han¹, Sung-Hoon Ahn^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Seoul National University, Gwanak-ro 1, Seoul, 151-742, Republic of Korea.
² Institute of Advanced Machines and Design, Seoul National University, Gwanak-ro 1, Seoul, 151-742, Republic of Korea.

PMID: 28165168
DOI: 10.1002/adma.201606580

Abstract

A loop-linked structure, which is capable of morphing in various modes, including volumetric transformation, is developed based on knitting methods. Morphing flowers (a lily-like, a daffodil-like, gamopetalous, and a calla-like flower) are fabricated using loop patterning, and their blooming motion is demonstrated by controlling a current that selectively actuates the flowers petals.

Keywords: loop structures; smart materials; smart textiles; soft morphing; soft robots.