Polymer-based smart materials for adaptive and sustainable robotic systems: a review

Abstract

The development and integration of polymer-based smart materials, which have the inherent capacity to recognize and respond to a variety of external stimuli (such as thermal, electrical, and mechanical), are driving the growth and change of the robotics field. This combination is essential for the shift in robotic design towards bio-inspired and flexible designs. This review describes the various smart polymer-based materials used in robotics, along with advances in the field and representative applications. A brief overview of recent developments is provided, with particular attention to 3D printing and the development of hybrid stimuli-responsive composites. The increasing integration of polymer-based smart materials will enable the next generation of robots to achieve unprecedented levels of agility, autonomy, and flexible operation in challenging applications, highlighting their transformative role in robotics evolution.