A Powerful Dual-Responsive Hand Claw Structured by a Photothermal Double Layer Based on Poly(<i>N</i>-isopropylacrylamide) and Carbon Nanotubes
Huibin Liu, Zezheng Qiao, Xiangyu Teng, Haibo Yu, Zheng Yuan, Wenguang Yang
Abstract
Drawing upon the strong application potential of mechanical hand claws, we have designed a dual-responsive hand claw structured by a photothermal double layer based on poly( N -isopropylacrylamide) and carbon nanotubes. By harnessing the photothermal conversion effect of carbon nanotubes on the hydrogel surface, the hydrogel reversibly absorbs and drains water, thus realizing the basic function of the hand claw. In addition, the integration of the magnetic material with the flexible robot, with the help of magnetic field actuation, effectively improves the mobility and flexibility of the hand claw and makes up for some of the shortcomings of traditional flexible robots. The enhancement of performance through optical-magnetic coupling will provide some valuable insights for the research of underwater microrobots.