Soft Robotic Manipulation and Locomotion with 3D Printed Electroactive Hydrogel

Electro-responsive hydrogel (ERH) which exhibits large deformation in response to an electric field has received great attention as a smart material for soft actuators because of their reliable control, fast actuation, and materials property similar to that of natural muscles. Despite their unique advantages, their application has been limited due to fabrication techniques that are inherently two-dimensional (2D) such as molding and lithography.
Here we demonstrate soft robotic manipulation and locomotion with 3D printed ERH. We use a digital light processing (DLP) based micro 3D printing technique, projection micro-stereolithography (PµSL). Photo-curable ERH resin was prepared and printed into 3D ERH micro actuators using PµSL. Gripping and transporting an object were achieved by 3D printed soft robotic ERH actuators. Also, a locomotion of a 3D printed ERH structure was demonstrated by using alternating electric fields and corresponding shift of the center of mass due to large deformation. 3D printed ERH will have potential impact on a variety of applications, such as soft robots, electro-active sensors, and artificial muscles.