Abstract
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.
Claims
1. A magnetically driven hopping soft robot based on magnetically programmed temperature-sensitive hydrogels, comprising first moving bodies and a second moving body, wherein a plurality of the 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, and an alternating magnetic field is applied to the first moving bodies to cause the first moving bodies to deform, 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 temperature-responsive hydrogel containing magnetic particles, and an alternating magnetic field is applied to the first moving bodies in such 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, and magnetically programmed treatment is performed on the temperature-responsive hydrogel with added magnetic nanoparticles, so that the magnetic nanoparticles are distributed evenly in a rectangular array inside the temperature-responsive hydrogel.
2. (canceled)
3. (canceled)
4. The magnetically driven hopping soft robot based on the magnetically programmed temperature-sensitive hydrogels according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic nanoparticles in the rectangular array are arranged densely in a height direction and arranged sparsely in a width direction inside the temperature-responsive hydrogel.
5. The magnetically driven hopping soft robot based on the magnetically programmed temperature-sensitive hydrogels according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic nanoparticles in the rectangular array are arranged sparsely in a height direction and arranged densely in a width direction inside the temperature-responsive hydrogel.
6. The magnetically driven hopping soft robot based on the magnetically programmed temperature-sensitive hydrogels according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic nanoparticles in the rectangular array have an included angle of 60 to 120 between a length direction and a height direction inside the temperature-responsive hydrogel.
7. The magnetically driven hopping soft robot based on the magnetically programmed temperature-sensitive hydrogels according to claim 1, wherein the magnetically programmed treatment includes adding the magnetic nanoparticles to the temperature-responsive hydrogel and putting a gelation process of a mixture in a uniform magnetic field environment.
8. The magnetically driven hopping soft robot based on the magnetically programmed temperature-sensitive hydrogels according to claim 1, wherein at least two of the first moving bodies are distributed evenly on the bottom portion of the second moving body and the second layer is positioned on an outer side of the first layer, and an alternating magnetic field is applied to the second layer to cause the first moving bodies and the second moving body to deform into a shape.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] FIG. 1 is a structural view of a magnetically driven hopping soft robot based on magnetically programmed temperature-sensitive hydrogels according to the present invention;
[0022] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a state in which both legs are bent in an alternating magnetic field of a robot according to a first embodiment;
[0023] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a left leg of a robot according to the present invention;
[0024] FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a right leg of a robot according to the present invention;
[0025] FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the arrangement of magnetic nanoparticles according to the present invention;
[0026] FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a hopping gait of a robot according to the present invention;
[0027] FIG. 7 shows the dense arrangement in a height direction of magnetic nanoparticles according to the present invention;
[0028] FIG. 8 shows the dense arrangement in a width direction of magnetic nanoparticles according to the present invention;
[0029] FIG. 9 shows the oblique arrangement of magnetic nanoparticles according to the present invention; and
[0030] FIG. 10 is a schematic view of a state in which both legs are bent in an alternating magnetic field of a robot according to a second embodiment.
[0031] In the drawings:
[0032] 1 head of the robot; 2 left leg of the robot; 3 right leg of the robot; 4 left leg left layer of the robot; 5 left leg right layer of the robot; 6 right leg left layer of the robot; 7 right leg right
DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0033] The present invention will be further explained with reference to the drawings and specific embodiments, but the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto.
[0034] A magnetically driven hopping soft robot based on magnetically programmed temperature-sensitive hydrogels according to the present invention 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. The first moving bodies have a two-layered structure. The first layer is made of a double-network cross-linked hydrogel and the second layer is made of a magnetic temperature-responsive hydrogel. An alternating magnetic field is applied to the first moving bodies in such a manner that the amount of deformation of the second layer is greater than that of the first layer.
[0035] In a specific embodiment of the present invention, two first moving bodies are distributed evenly on the bottom portion of the second moving body. As shown in FIG. 1, a left leg 2 of the robot and a right leg 3 of the robot are adhered to the bottom of the head 1 of the robot. The left leg 2 of the robot and the right leg 3 of the robot are arranged symmetrically, so that the robot is in a shape. The left leg 2 of the robot and the right leg 3 of the robot have the same structure and both have a left and right two-layered structure. The head 1 of the robot is made of a non-magnetic double-network cross-linked hydrogel. The head has a size 20 mm long, 10 mm wide and 4 mm thick. As shown in FIG. 3, the left leg 2 of the robot has a left and right two-layered structure. The left leg left layer 4 of the robot is made of a temperature-responsive hydrogel with added magnetic nanoparticles 8 and has a size 20 mm long, 10 mm wide and 2 mm thick. The left leg right layer 5 of the robot is made of a non-magnetic double-network cross-linked hydrogel and has a size 20 mm long, 10 mm wide and 2 mm thick. The left leg right layer 5 of the robot is adhered to the left leg left layer 4 of the robot. As shown in FIG. 4, the right leg 3 of the robot has a left and right two-layered structure. The right leg left layer 6 of the robot is made of a non-magnetic double-network cross-linked hydrogel and has a size 20 mm long, 10 mm wide and 2 mm thick. The right leg right layer 7 of the robot is made of a temperature-responsive hydrogel with added magnetic nanoparticles 8 and has a size 20 mmm long, 10 mm wide and 2 mm thick. The right leg left layer 6 of the robot is adhered to the right leg right layer 7 of the robot. Magnetically programmed treatment is performed on the magnetic nanoparticles 8 in the left leg left layer 4 of the robot and the right leg right layer 7 of the robot so that the magnetic nanoparticles 8 are distributed evenly in a rectangular array in the temperature-responsive hydrogel. As shown in FIG. 5, the magnetically programmed treatment includes placing the temperature-sensitive hydrogel with added magnetic nanoparticles 8 of nano-sized Fe.sub.3O.sub.4 in a vertical magnetic field (shown as H in FIG. 5) environment during the manufacture process, so that when gelation is completed, the nano-sized Fe.sub.3O.sub.4 particles added to the temperature-sensitive hydrogel are arranged vertically. Alternatively, instead of a vertical magnetic field, as shown in FIG. 5 only as an example, the included angle between a direction of the magnetic field H and a length direction of the left leg left layer 4 of the robot is 60 to 120. The length here is merely the length of the cuboid represented in FIG. 5. Seen from the position where the left leg left layer 4 is adhered, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the included angle between the direction of the magnetic field H and a height direction of the left leg left layer 4 of the robot is 60 to 120.
[0036] During operation of the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, under a room temperature of 25 C., the left leg 2 of the robot and the right leg 3 of the robot are normally spread vertically as shown in FIG. 1, when the robot is in gait A. In transition from gait A to gait B, the robot is placed in an environment of alternating magnetic field H shown in FIG. 2. As the left leg left layer 4 and right leg right layer 7 of the robot have gone through magnetically programmed treatment, the magnetic nanoparticles 8 therein generate heat in the alternating magnetic field H due to electromagnetic induction. When the temperature reaches 33 C., the left leg left layer 4 of the robot and the right leg right layer 7 of the robot are shortened vertically. As the left leg right layer 5 of the robot and the right leg left layer 6 of the robot are made of a non-magnetic double-network cross-linked hydrogel, the two layers of the legs of the robot go through unequal amounts of deformation. Therefore, the left leg 2 of the robot is bent to left, and the right leg 3 of the robot is bent to right. The overall weight center of the robot is lowered due to the gravity, thereby achieving gait B in which the robot is in a shape. When the robot achieves gait B, the alternating magnetic field is removed, so that the elastic potential energy in the legs of the robot is released and converted into kinetic energy that causes the robot to move upward. When the legs of the robot are straightened, gait C is achieved. Thereafter, the robot is disengaged from the contact surface and move further upward over a distance L due to inertia to reach the peak point. That is, the robot jumps up to achieve gait D.
[0037] As shown in FIG. 7, the magnetic nanoparticles 8 in the rectangular array are arranged densely in a height direction and arranged sparsely in a width direction inside the temperature-responsive hydrogel. The magnetically programmed temperature-sensitive hydrogel has a greater amount of deformation in the height direction and less amount of deformation in the width direction during deformation. As shown in FIG. 8, the magnetic nanoparticles 8 in the rectangular array are arranged sparsely in the height direction and arranged densely in the width direction inside the temperature-responsive hydrogel. The magnetically programmed temperature-sensitive hydrogel has a less amount of deformation in the height direction and a greater amount of deformation in the width direction during deformation. As shown in FIG. 9, the magnetic nanoparticles 8 in the rectangular array have an included angle of 60 to 120 between the length direction and the height direction inside the temperature-responsive hydrogel.
[0038] As shown in FIG. 10, the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the left leg right layer 5 of the robot is made of a temperature-responsive hydrogel with added magnetic nanoparticles 8 and the left leg left layer 4 of the robot is made of a non-magnetic double-network cross-linked hydrogel. The right leg right layer 7 of the robot is made of a non-magnetic double-network cross-linked hydrogel and the right leg left layer 6 of the robot is made of a temperature-responsive hydrogel with added magnetic nanoparticles 8. That is, in the first embodiment, the left leg 2 of the robot and the right leg 3 of the robot are made of a temperature-responsive hydrogel with added magnetic nanoparticles 8 on the outer side and of a non-magnetic double-network cross-linked hydrogel on the inner side. In the alternating magnetic field H, the left leg 2 of the robot and the right leg 3 of the robot are both bent outward. In the second embodiment, the left leg 2 of the robot and the right leg 3 of the robot are made of a temperature-responsive hydrogel with added magnetic nanoparticles 8 on the inner side and of a non-magnetic double-network cross-linked hydrogel on the outer side. In the alternating magnetic field H, the left leg 2 of the robot and the right leg 3 of the robot are both bent inward.
[0039] The embodiments described are preferred implementations of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the implementations described above. Without departing from the essence of the present invention, any obvious improvement, substitution or variants that can be made by a person skilled in the art shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.
