Mechanical Assembly of Thermo‐Responsive Polymer‐Based Untethered Shape‐Morphing Structures

Abstract Shape‐morphing robotic structures can provide innovative approaches for various applications ranging from soft robotics to flexible electronics. However, the programmed deformation of direct‐3D printed polymer‐based structures cannot be separated from their subsequent conventional shape‐pro...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Wei Wang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley-VCH 2020-01-01
Series:Macromolecular Materials and Engineering
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/mame.201900568
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850194427380760576
author Wei Wang
author_facet Wei Wang
author_sort Wei Wang
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Shape‐morphing robotic structures can provide innovative approaches for various applications ranging from soft robotics to flexible electronics. However, the programmed deformation of direct‐3D printed polymer‐based structures cannot be separated from their subsequent conventional shape‐programming process. This work aims to simplify the fabrication process and demonstrates a rapid and adaptable approach for building stimulus‐responsive polymer‐based shape‐morphing structures of any shape. This is accomplished through mechanically assembling a set of identical self‐bending units in different patterns to form morphing structures using auxiliary hard connectors. A self‐bending unit fabricated by a 3D printing method can be actuated upon heating without the need for tethered power sources and is able to transform from a flat shape to a bending shape. This enables the assembled morphing‐structure to achieve the programmed integral shape without the need for a shape‐programming process. Differently assembled morphing structures used as independent robotic mechanisms are sequentially demonstrated with applications in biomimetic morphing structures, grasping mechanisms, and responsive electrical devices. This proposed approach based on a mechanical assembling method paves the way for rapid and simple prototyping of stimulus‐responsive polymer‐based shape‐morphing structures with arbitrary architectures for a variety of applications in deployable structures, bionic mechanisms, robotics, and flexible electronics.
format Article
id doaj-art-693b15a3bfa34f09965815d1ed8b8e43
institution OA Journals
issn 1438-7492
1439-2054
language English
publishDate 2020-01-01
publisher Wiley-VCH
record_format Article
series Macromolecular Materials and Engineering
spelling doaj-art-693b15a3bfa34f09965815d1ed8b8e432025-08-20T02:13:59ZengWiley-VCHMacromolecular Materials and Engineering1438-74921439-20542020-01-013051n/an/a10.1002/mame.201900568Mechanical Assembly of Thermo‐Responsive Polymer‐Based Untethered Shape‐Morphing StructuresWei Wang0Department of Mechanical Engineering Hanyang University Seoul 04763 Republic of KoreaAbstract Shape‐morphing robotic structures can provide innovative approaches for various applications ranging from soft robotics to flexible electronics. However, the programmed deformation of direct‐3D printed polymer‐based structures cannot be separated from their subsequent conventional shape‐programming process. This work aims to simplify the fabrication process and demonstrates a rapid and adaptable approach for building stimulus‐responsive polymer‐based shape‐morphing structures of any shape. This is accomplished through mechanically assembling a set of identical self‐bending units in different patterns to form morphing structures using auxiliary hard connectors. A self‐bending unit fabricated by a 3D printing method can be actuated upon heating without the need for tethered power sources and is able to transform from a flat shape to a bending shape. This enables the assembled morphing‐structure to achieve the programmed integral shape without the need for a shape‐programming process. Differently assembled morphing structures used as independent robotic mechanisms are sequentially demonstrated with applications in biomimetic morphing structures, grasping mechanisms, and responsive electrical devices. This proposed approach based on a mechanical assembling method paves the way for rapid and simple prototyping of stimulus‐responsive polymer‐based shape‐morphing structures with arbitrary architectures for a variety of applications in deployable structures, bionic mechanisms, robotics, and flexible electronics.https://doi.org/10.1002/mame.2019005683D printingbiomimeticsresponsive electrical devicesshape memory polymerssoft robotsstimulus‐responsive polymers
spellingShingle Wei Wang
Mechanical Assembly of Thermo‐Responsive Polymer‐Based Untethered Shape‐Morphing Structures
Macromolecular Materials and Engineering
3D printing
biomimetics
responsive electrical devices
shape memory polymers
soft robots
stimulus‐responsive polymers
title Mechanical Assembly of Thermo‐Responsive Polymer‐Based Untethered Shape‐Morphing Structures
title_full Mechanical Assembly of Thermo‐Responsive Polymer‐Based Untethered Shape‐Morphing Structures
title_fullStr Mechanical Assembly of Thermo‐Responsive Polymer‐Based Untethered Shape‐Morphing Structures
title_full_unstemmed Mechanical Assembly of Thermo‐Responsive Polymer‐Based Untethered Shape‐Morphing Structures
title_short Mechanical Assembly of Thermo‐Responsive Polymer‐Based Untethered Shape‐Morphing Structures
title_sort mechanical assembly of thermo responsive polymer based untethered shape morphing structures
topic 3D printing
biomimetics
responsive electrical devices
shape memory polymers
soft robots
stimulus‐responsive polymers
url https://doi.org/10.1002/mame.201900568
work_keys_str_mv AT weiwang mechanicalassemblyofthermoresponsivepolymerbaseduntetheredshapemorphingstructures