Soft Matter Systems: Materials, Mechanics, and Miniaturized Devices
발표 구분
초청강연
제목
Electrified Hydrogels for Small-Scale Robotics
발표자
고종국 (가천대학교)
연구책임자
고종국 (가천대학교)
초록
내용
Electroactive soft actuators, inspired by biological organisms, hold a significant promise for revolutionizing robotics by replacing conventional motors. However, their practical application has been typically restricted by a critical trade-off: limited performance and strict operating conditions have prevented the development of small, lightweight, and truly portable robots. This talk introduces a new class of electrified hydrogel actuator that overcomes these limitations. A hydrogel-layered electroosmosis actuator capable of unprecedented performance at low voltage and power is presented. This breakthrough is enabled by the capillary-assisted in situ assembly of metal nanoparticles, forming an ultrathin, porous metallic layer on the hydrogel surface. By integrating these actuators with a microcontroller and a small battery, we demonstrate the small and fast untethered aquatic soft robots that can pave the way for a new generation of autonomous soft robotics.