Magnetic-Optical Hybrid Actuated Soft Actuator for Adjustable Robotic Application

Recently, the development of soft robots has become increasingly rapid, resulting in a more diverse demand for soft actuators. However, many existing soft actuators are powered by a single source, which greatly limits their functionality and application scenarios. The application of multiple sources to control soft actuators to develop new functions and more application scenarios is of great importance. Herein, we propose a hybrid magnetically and optically responsive actuator, which is composed of GO/PDMS-Fe3O4 NPs bilayer film. The magnetic actuation relies on the embedded Fe3O4 NPs and the light actuation works due to the photothermal effect of GO and the thermal expansion/ water desorption of PDMS/ GO. The developed actuator exhibits high-efficiency actuation in both optical and magnetic field. Experiments are carried to demonstrate the superiority of the hybrid actuation, including the motion of soft actuator on glass surface and obstacle environment. The results suggest such hybrid actuating approach offer the soft actuator good flexibility and adjustability in different terrains, showing great potential for the diverse robotic applications.