A worm-like soft crawling robot driven by an exergonic chemical reaction, including a body system, an exothermic reaction system and a vacuum system. The body system includes a left head shell, a left flexible body shell, a left reaction chamber, a right reaction chamber, a right flexible body shell and a right head shell. Elastic transmission parts are installed in the flexible body shells in a matched way. The exothermic reaction system includes chemical fuel storage units and exothermic reaction stimulation devices. The vacuum system includes vacuum suction cups, vacuum exhaust tubes and vacuum pumps.

An artificial muscle that includes a housing having an electrode region and an expandable fluid region, a dielectric fluid housed within the housing, an electrode pair positioned in the electrode region of the housing, the electrode pair including a first electrode and a second electrode, and an electrode insulator having one or more insulation layers. The electrode insulator is disposed on an inner electrode surface of the first electrode of the electrode pair. The second electrode includes a free inner electrode surface exposed to the dielectric fluid when the electrode pair is in a non-actuated state. The electrode pair is actuatable between the non-actuated state and an actuated state such that actuation from the non-actuated state to the actuated state directs the dielectric fluid into the expandable fluid region, expanding the expandable fluid region.

A photo-responsive composite actuator according to the present invention includes a polymeric scaffold film; an azobenzene liquid crystal polymer applied on a surface of the polymeric scaffold film; and a protective film attached to a surface of the azobenzene liquid crystal polymer.

An artificial muscle that includes a housing having an electrode region and an expandable fluid region, a dielectric fluid housed within the housing, an electrode pair positioned in the electrode region of the housing, the electrode pair including a first electrode and a second electrode, and an electrode insulator having one or more insulation layers. The electrode insulator is disposed on an inner electrode surface of the first electrode of the electrode pair. The second electrode includes a free inner electrode surface exposed to the dielectric fluid when the electrode pair is in a non-actuated state. The electrode pair is actuatable between the non-actuated state and an actuated state such that actuation from the non-actuated state to the actuated state directs the dielectric fluid into the expandable fluid region, expanding the expandable fluid region.

A magnetically driven hopping soft robot based on magnetically programmed temperature-sensitive hydrogels includes first moving bodies and a second moving body. Several first moving bodies are distributed evenly on a bottom portion of the second moving body. The first moving bodies are made of a temperature-responsive hydrogel containing magnetic particles. An alternating magnetic field is applied to the first moving bodies to cause the first moving bodies to deform due to magnetocaloric effect. The first moving bodies have a two-layered structure. A first layer is made of a double-network cross-linked hydrogel and a second layer is made of a magnetic temperature-responsive hydrogel with added magnetic nanoparticles. An alternating magnetic field is applied to the first moving bodies in a manner that an amount of deformation of the second layer is greater than that of the first layer. The second layer is made of a temperature-responsive hydrogel with added magnetic nanoparticles.

A magnetically driven hopping soft robot based on magnetically programmed temperature-sensitive hydrogels includes first moving bodies and a second moving body. Several first moving bodies are distributed evenly on a bottom portion of the second moving body. The first moving bodies are made of a temperature-responsive hydrogel containing magnetic particles. An alternating magnetic field is applied to the first moving bodies to cause the first moving bodies to deform due to magnetocaloric effect. The first moving bodies have a two-layered structure. A first layer is made of a double-network cross-linked hydrogel and a second layer is made of a magnetic temperature-responsive hydrogel with added magnetic nanoparitcles. An alternating magnetic field is applied to the first moving bodies in a manner that an amount of deformation of the second layer is greater than that of the first layer. The second layer is made of a temperature-responsive hydrogel with added magnetic nanoparticles.

Aspects provide fluid responsive actuators and methods of using fluid responsive actuators capable of generating a power-to-volume ratio sufficient to inject a drug from a syringe within an injection period from about 1 to about 60 seconds after exposure of the fluid responsive elements to a fluid. The fluid responsive actuators can be used to inject viscous drugs to a patient.

A rotary engine that generates electricity using differences in relative humidity. A water-responsive material expands and contracts as water evaporates which drives the rotation of two wheels. The rotary motion drives an electrical generator which produces electricity. In another embodiment, the water-responsive material is used to actuate an artificial muscle of a robotic device.

Methods and apparatus to grasp an object with an unmanned aerial vehicle are described herein. An example unmanned aerial vehicle includes a gripper having a claw to grasp onto an object and an active material disposed on the claw. The example unmanned aerial vehicle further includes a material activator to: (1) apply an activation signal to the active material to soften the active material while the claw grasps the object with the active material, and (2) allow the active material to harden in a shape substantially matching a surface of the object.

A continuum device/manipulator includes a first flexible tube, a low melting point (LMP) alloy disposed within the first flexible tube, and a temperature adjustment element that applies heat or cooling to change a phase of the LMP alloy. Changing the phase of the LMP alloy controls a flexibility of the first flexible tube.