An electrically active gecko-effect soft gripper under a low voltage by mimicking gecko's adhesive structures and toe muscles
Hongmiao Tian, Haoran Liu, Jinyou Shao, Шуай Ли, Xiangming Li, Xiaoming Chen
Abstract
With the combination of the passive adhesion generated by micro/nano-structures at their feet and the active mechanical stimulus of their toe muscles, geckos can stably walk on vertical walls and horizontal ceilings. Inspired by such stimuli-responsive systems in nature, an active adhesive soft gripper stimulated by low voltage (usually ≤6 V), consisting of a passive mushroom-like adhesive structure and an electrically active liquid crystal elastomer working as toe muscles, is proposed in this study. Through voltage on/off switching, reversible deformation can be generated for switchable adhesion, where high adhesion can be achieved under the action of a preload force accompanied by a 0 V voltage and low adhesion can be obtained under an exerted voltage. This gecko-inspired soft gripper was tested and found to be successful as a transport device for gripping/releasing objects with different features, such as a glass ball, a sample bottle, and a steel weight. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first to propose an electrically active gecko-inspired soft gripper for transferring objects with different surfaces by the control of low voltage, processing great application potential in industrial lines and daily life and providing a novel perspective on soft gripper design.