Muscles and joints make highly coordinated motion, which can be partly mimicked to drive robots or facilitate activities. However, most cases primarily employ actuators enabling simple deformations. Therefore, a mature artificial motor system requires many actuators assembled with jointed structures to accomplish complex motions, posing limitations and challenges to the fabrication, integration, and applicability of the system. Here, a holistic artificial muscle with integrated light-addressable nodes, using one-step laser printing from a bilayer structure of poly(methyl methacrylate) and graphene oxide compounded with gold nanorods (AuNRs), is reported. Utilizing the synergistic effect of the AuNRs with high plasmonic property and wavelength-selectivity as well as graphene with good flexibility and thermal conductivity, the artificial muscle can implement full-function motility without further integration, which is reconfigurable through wavelength-sensitive light activation. A biomimetic robot and artificial hand are demonstrated, showcasing functionalized control, which is desirable for various applications, from soft robotics to human assists.
Keywords: gold nanorods; graphene oxide; light-driven actuators; plasmonic effect; soft robotics.
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