4D-Printed fiber-reinforced liquid crystal elastomer composites for multifunctional soft robots with self-heating actuation
Fabrication of flexible actuators with precise deformability, self-heating actuation, and flexibility remain challenging due to limited mechanical properties, sensitivity to ambient temperature, and complexities in multi-material integration. In this study, continuous fibre-reinforced 4D printing te...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2025-12-01
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| Series: | Virtual and Physical Prototyping |
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| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/17452759.2025.2499927 |
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| author | Daokang Zhang Xiaoyong Tian Yanli Zhou Dichen Li |
| author_facet | Daokang Zhang Xiaoyong Tian Yanli Zhou Dichen Li |
| author_sort | Daokang Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Fabrication of flexible actuators with precise deformability, self-heating actuation, and flexibility remain challenging due to limited mechanical properties, sensitivity to ambient temperature, and complexities in multi-material integration. In this study, continuous fibre-reinforced 4D printing technology was employed to fabricate self-heating actuators with precisely controllable deformation characteristics. The integration of continuous carbon fibres not only enhances the mechanical properties of the structure but also enables self-heating through the electrothermal effect of the carbon fibres. By adjusting the applied current, controllable temperatures and deformation curvatures can be achieved, and the thermal response can be achieved within 20 s with a maximum deformation curvature of 0.25 mm−1. Building on this foundation, we drew inspiration from the locomotion patterns of octopuses and inchworms to design a multi-legged soft robot capable of multiple movement modes. The independent control of each leg allows the soft robot to move in all directions, grasping objects weighing up to 20 times its own weight, and moving on 20° inclined surfaces. This study highlights the self-heating deformation capabilities of continuous fibre-reinforced liquid crystal elastomer actuators, showcasing their potential for use in multifunctional soft robotics applications. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a89d20e6880a458bb3fd778217cf1587 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1745-2759 1745-2767 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Virtual and Physical Prototyping |
| spelling | doaj-art-a89d20e6880a458bb3fd778217cf15872025-08-20T02:59:10ZengTaylor & Francis GroupVirtual and Physical Prototyping1745-27591745-27672025-12-0120110.1080/17452759.2025.24999274D-Printed fiber-reinforced liquid crystal elastomer composites for multifunctional soft robots with self-heating actuationDaokang Zhang0Xiaoyong Tian1Yanli Zhou2Dichen Li3State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, People’s Republic of ChinaState Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, People’s Republic of ChinaState Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, People’s Republic of ChinaState Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, People’s Republic of ChinaFabrication of flexible actuators with precise deformability, self-heating actuation, and flexibility remain challenging due to limited mechanical properties, sensitivity to ambient temperature, and complexities in multi-material integration. In this study, continuous fibre-reinforced 4D printing technology was employed to fabricate self-heating actuators with precisely controllable deformation characteristics. The integration of continuous carbon fibres not only enhances the mechanical properties of the structure but also enables self-heating through the electrothermal effect of the carbon fibres. By adjusting the applied current, controllable temperatures and deformation curvatures can be achieved, and the thermal response can be achieved within 20 s with a maximum deformation curvature of 0.25 mm−1. Building on this foundation, we drew inspiration from the locomotion patterns of octopuses and inchworms to design a multi-legged soft robot capable of multiple movement modes. The independent control of each leg allows the soft robot to move in all directions, grasping objects weighing up to 20 times its own weight, and moving on 20° inclined surfaces. This study highlights the self-heating deformation capabilities of continuous fibre-reinforced liquid crystal elastomer actuators, showcasing their potential for use in multifunctional soft robotics applications.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/17452759.2025.2499927Liquid crystal elastomer (LCE)4D printingcontinuous fibreprogrammable actuation |
| spellingShingle | Daokang Zhang Xiaoyong Tian Yanli Zhou Dichen Li 4D-Printed fiber-reinforced liquid crystal elastomer composites for multifunctional soft robots with self-heating actuation Virtual and Physical Prototyping Liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) 4D printing continuous fibre programmable actuation |
| title | 4D-Printed fiber-reinforced liquid crystal elastomer composites for multifunctional soft robots with self-heating actuation |
| title_full | 4D-Printed fiber-reinforced liquid crystal elastomer composites for multifunctional soft robots with self-heating actuation |
| title_fullStr | 4D-Printed fiber-reinforced liquid crystal elastomer composites for multifunctional soft robots with self-heating actuation |
| title_full_unstemmed | 4D-Printed fiber-reinforced liquid crystal elastomer composites for multifunctional soft robots with self-heating actuation |
| title_short | 4D-Printed fiber-reinforced liquid crystal elastomer composites for multifunctional soft robots with self-heating actuation |
| title_sort | 4d printed fiber reinforced liquid crystal elastomer composites for multifunctional soft robots with self heating actuation |
| topic | Liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) 4D printing continuous fibre programmable actuation |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/17452759.2025.2499927 |
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