An on-demand plant-based actuator created using conformable electrodes

Wenlong Li; Naoji Matsuhisa; Zhiyuan Liu; Ming Wang; Yifei Luo; Pingqiang Cai; Geng Chen; Feilong Zhang; Chengcheng Li; Zhihua Liu; Zhisheng Lv; Wei Zhang; Xiaodong Chen

doi:10.1038/s41928-020-00530-4

An on-demand plant-based actuator created using conformable electrodes

Wenlong Li, Naoji Matsuhisa, Zhiyuan Liu, Ming Wang, Yifei Luo, Pingqiang Cai, Geng Chen, Feilong Zhang, Chengcheng Li, Zhihua Liu, Zhisheng Lv, Wei Zhang, Xiaodong Chen^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Nanyang Technological University

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

108 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Owing to their adaptive interfacial properties, soft actuators can be used to perform more delicate tasks than their rigid counterparts. However, traditional polymeric soft actuators rely on energy conversion for actuation, resulting in high power input or slow responses. Here we report an electrical plant-based actuator that uses a conformable electrical interface as an electrical modulating unit and a Venus flytrap as an actuating unit. Using frequency-dependent action-potential modulation, accurate on-demand actuation is possible, with response times that can be tuned to 1.3 s and a power input of only 10⁻⁵ W. The actuator can be wirelessly controlled using a smartphone. It can also be installed on a range of platforms (including a finger and a robotic hand) and can be used to grasp thin wires and capture moving objects.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	134-142
Number of pages	9
Journal	Nature Electronics
Volume	4
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41928-020-00530-4
Publication status	Published - Feb 2021
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
Instrumentation
Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Access to Document

10.1038/s41928-020-00530-4

Cite this

@article{277a578135114769ad91a16ceb50e48a,

title = "An on-demand plant-based actuator created using conformable electrodes",

abstract = "Owing to their adaptive interfacial properties, soft actuators can be used to perform more delicate tasks than their rigid counterparts. However, traditional polymeric soft actuators rely on energy conversion for actuation, resulting in high power input or slow responses. Here we report an electrical plant-based actuator that uses a conformable electrical interface as an electrical modulating unit and a Venus flytrap as an actuating unit. Using frequency-dependent action-potential modulation, accurate on-demand actuation is possible, with response times that can be tuned to 1.3 s and a power input of only 10−5 W. The actuator can be wirelessly controlled using a smartphone. It can also be installed on a range of platforms (including a finger and a robotic hand) and can be used to grasp thin wires and capture moving objects.",

author = "Wenlong Li and Naoji Matsuhisa and Zhiyuan Liu and Ming Wang and Yifei Luo and Pingqiang Cai and Geng Chen and Feilong Zhang and Chengcheng Li and Zhihua Liu and Zhisheng Lv and Wei Zhang and Xiaodong Chen",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.",

year = "2021",

month = feb,

doi = "10.1038/s41928-020-00530-4",

language = "English",

volume = "4",

pages = "134--142",

journal = "Nature Electronics",

issn = "2520-1131",

publisher = "Nature Publishing Group",

number = "2",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - An on-demand plant-based actuator created using conformable electrodes

AU - Li, Wenlong

AU - Matsuhisa, Naoji

AU - Liu, Zhiyuan

AU - Wang, Ming

AU - Luo, Yifei

AU - Cai, Pingqiang

AU - Chen, Geng

AU - Zhang, Feilong

AU - Li, Chengcheng

AU - Liu, Zhihua

AU - Lv, Zhisheng

AU - Zhang, Wei

AU - Chen, Xiaodong

PY - 2021/2

Y1 - 2021/2

N2 - Owing to their adaptive interfacial properties, soft actuators can be used to perform more delicate tasks than their rigid counterparts. However, traditional polymeric soft actuators rely on energy conversion for actuation, resulting in high power input or slow responses. Here we report an electrical plant-based actuator that uses a conformable electrical interface as an electrical modulating unit and a Venus flytrap as an actuating unit. Using frequency-dependent action-potential modulation, accurate on-demand actuation is possible, with response times that can be tuned to 1.3 s and a power input of only 10−5 W. The actuator can be wirelessly controlled using a smartphone. It can also be installed on a range of platforms (including a finger and a robotic hand) and can be used to grasp thin wires and capture moving objects.

AB - Owing to their adaptive interfacial properties, soft actuators can be used to perform more delicate tasks than their rigid counterparts. However, traditional polymeric soft actuators rely on energy conversion for actuation, resulting in high power input or slow responses. Here we report an electrical plant-based actuator that uses a conformable electrical interface as an electrical modulating unit and a Venus flytrap as an actuating unit. Using frequency-dependent action-potential modulation, accurate on-demand actuation is possible, with response times that can be tuned to 1.3 s and a power input of only 10−5 W. The actuator can be wirelessly controlled using a smartphone. It can also be installed on a range of platforms (including a finger and a robotic hand) and can be used to grasp thin wires and capture moving objects.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85099755535&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85099755535&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1038/s41928-020-00530-4

DO - 10.1038/s41928-020-00530-4

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85099755535

SN - 2520-1131

VL - 4

SP - 134

EP - 142

JO - Nature Electronics

JF - Nature Electronics

IS - 2

ER -

An on-demand plant-based actuator created using conformable electrodes

Abstract

Bibliographical note

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this