Light-controlled versatile manipulation of liquid metal droplets: a gateway to future liquid robots
Hongtai Ren, Hu Jin, Jian Shu, Jie Xie, Erlong Wang, Du-An Ge, Shi‐Yang Tang, Xiangpeng Li, Weihua Li, Shiwu Zhang
Abstract
Marangoni forces. This approach shows the ability of inducing concurrent motion, splitting, and merging of multiple LM droplets simply using light without complex and bulky systems. Parameters affecting the manipulation of LM droplets are thoroughly investigated. Moreover, a vehicle carrier driven by wheels composed of multiple LM droplets for making a light-controlled relay is demonstrated. We believe such a light-induced control method for manipulating LM droplets has the potential for advancing the development of future field-programmable robotics and droplet-based soft collaborative robots.
Topics & Concepts
Marangoni effectMaterials scienceSoft roboticsNanotechnologyRoboticsMicrofluidicsLiquid metalRobotComputer scienceArtificial intelligencePhysicsMechanicsConvectionComposite materialMicro and Nano RoboticsModular Robots and Swarm IntelligenceSoft Robotics and Applications