Biopolymer-based vapor responsive soft actuators
ABSTRACT :
The nastic and tropic movements exhibited by living organisms in response to external stimuli, including light, temperature, humidity, and touch, are captivating illustrations of the adaptability and responsiv eness inherent in the living world. These natural phenomena have inspired the innovation and testing of artificial soft actuators designed to achieve complex movements. Soft actuators, composed of materials like polymers, fluids, and gels, possess the unique ability to sense and create a large deformation in response to external triggers such as light, heat, humidity, solvent vapors, electric and magnetic fields[1,2]. As a result, they hold promise in a wide array of applications spanning over sensors, soft robotics, bio-mimicry, and biomedical devices. Among the various stimulus types, there has been considerable interest in vapor- and light-responsive soft actuators due to their exceptional speed of actuation and lightweight nature. In this context, this talk will focus on the vapor and light responsiveness of soft actuators designed using nature-derived bio-polymers. Interestingly, These bio-polymer-based actuators exhibit consistent and robust actuation performance across more than 1400 actuation cycles, without displaying any noticeable signs of fatigue. Additionally, in this talk we will showcase some potential applications of biopolymer-based actuators such as bi-directional switches, crawling robots, smart lifting mechanisms, and self-ventilation systems for toxic vapors.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER:
Biography of the Speaker :
PhD Scholar, Department of Physics, IIT Madras
Affiliation of the Speaker :
Guide: Dr. DILLIP KUMAR SATAPATHY