A photo from open sources
Researchers have made a stunning breakthrough in soft robotics, creating a robot from a material based on hydrogel, which you can compress, fold and give it whatever you want form.
The new technique is based on the use of polymer gel water based material. Researchers have found that they can modify and form hydrogel sections by electric pulses – using copper electrodes to create a positive charged sites in the polymer network of the material. As a result this polymer molecule binds to each other, and the material becomes tougher and more stable.
During experiments with this technique, the team found that they can charge certain areas of the gel, creating a framework hardened material. And more importantly, any created thus the pattern remains stable for many months, held in water.
“The bonds between biopolymer molecules and copper ions are also attract molecular bonds closer together, forcing hydrogel bend, “says one of the authors of the study Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Dr. Orlin Velev. “And the more ions we introduce into the gel, passing through it the current through the electrodes, the more it bends. ”
By controlling the rigidity of the material, scientists have achieved the opportunity to manipulate with it various objects. For example, they managed to create a V-shaped hydrogel segment that could capture object as a pair of soft forceps. When ions were introduced into the reverse side of the structure, the tongs opened, releasing an object.
A photo from open sources
“At the moment, we plan to use this technique to creating mobile, biocompatible microdevices “, says Velev.
An article on the results of this studies recently appeared in the journal Nature Communications “.
Water Robots
