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Revolutionary Light-Driven Artificial Muscles Enable High-Stroke Actuation in Underwater Robots
- A Korean research team has developed light-powered artificial muscles for underwater robots, enabling high-stroke actuation in challenging aquatic environments.
- The artificial muscles, made of azobenzene-functionalized semicrystalline liquid crystal elastomers (AC-LCEs), respond to light for movement, overcoming limitations of traditional energy-dependent actuators.
- Underwater actuation has been a challenge due to cooling effects, but the AC-LCEs contract under UV light and expand under visible light, offering dynamic motion capabilities.
- The artificial muscles can maintain a deformed state once the light source is removed, allowing for a 'latch-like' locking mechanism that enhances control over robotic motion.
- These AC-LCEs display significantly higher actuation strains and work capacity compared to previous actuators, presenting a promising advancement in soft robotics for underwater applications.
- The research team's innovative approach allows reversible direction of actuation, offering versatility for underwater robots to perform tasks such as gripping, navigating, and moving through confined spaces.
- The developments eliminate the need for traditional components like batteries, wires, or pumps, enhancing the efficiency and reliability of untethered underwater robotic systems.
- The artificial muscles demonstrated robust and efficient performance over 100 light cycles, indicating their durability and potential for real-world applications in dynamic underwater environments.
- The research, set to be published in the journal Small, signifies a significant step in light-powered soft robotics, with implications for underwater exploration, environmental conservation, and beyond.
- This breakthrough showcases the innovative potential of light-powered actuators, paving the way for advancements in diverse sectors such as technology, biology, and environmental sciences.
- As the team prepares for commercialization by 2030, their work underscores the transformative impact of this research on underwater robotics, offering new opportunities for engineering and scientific exploration.
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