Self-vectoring electromagnetic soft robots with high operational dimensionality

Wenbo Li; Huyue Chen; Zhiran Yi; Fuyi Fang; Xinyu Guo; Zhiyuan Wu; Qiuhua Gao; Lei Shao; Jian Xu; Guang Meng; Wenming Zhang

doi:10.1038/s41467-023-35848-y

Self-vectoring electromagnetic soft robots with high operational dimensionality

Nat Commun. 2023 Jan 12;14(1):182. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-35848-y.

Authors

Wenbo Li^#^{1

2}, Huyue Chen^#³, Zhiran Yi⁴, Fuyi Fang⁴, Xinyu Guo⁴, Zhiyuan Wu⁴, Qiuhua Gao⁴, Lei Shao⁵, Jian Xu⁶, Guang Meng⁴, Wenming Zhang⁷

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Mechanical System and Vibration, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China. wenboli@tongji.edu.cn.
² School of Aerospace Engineering and Applied Mechanics, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China. wenboli@tongji.edu.cn.
³ University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
⁴ State Key Laboratory of Mechanical System and Vibration, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
⁵ University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China. lei.shao@sjtu.edu.cn.
⁶ School of Aerospace Engineering and Applied Mechanics, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China.
⁷ State Key Laboratory of Mechanical System and Vibration, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China. wenmingz@sjtu.edu.cn.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Soft robots capable of flexible deformations and agile locomotion similar to biological systems are highly desirable for promising applications, including safe human-robot interactions and biomedical engineering. Their achievable degree of freedom and motional deftness are limited by the actuation modes and controllable dimensions of constituent soft actuators. Here, we report self-vectoring electromagnetic soft robots (SESRs) to offer new operational dimensionality via actively and instantly adjusting and synthesizing the interior electromagnetic vectors (EVs) in every flux actuator sub-domain of the robots. As a result, we can achieve high-dimensional operation with fewer actuators and control signals than other actuation methods. We also demonstrate complex and rapid 3D shape morphing, bioinspired multimodal locomotion, as well as fast switches among different locomotion modes all in passive magnetic fields. The intrinsic fast (re)programmability of SESRs, along with the active and selective actuation through self-vectoring control, significantly increases the operational dimensionality and possibilities for soft robots.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Bioengineering
Biomedical Engineering
Electromagnetic Phenomena
Humans
Locomotion
Robotics*