Affiliation:
1. State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems School of Mechanical Engineering Zhejiang University Hangzhou 310058 China
2. Institute of Process Equipment College of Energy Engineering Zhejiang University Hangzhou 310027 China
Abstract
AbstractSoft pneumatic actuation is widely used in wearable devices, soft robots, artificial muscles, and surgery machines. However, generating high‐pressure gases in a soft, controllable, and portable way remains a substantial challenge. Here, a class of programmable chemical reactions that can be used to controllably generate gases with a maximum pressure output of nearly 6 MPa is reported. It is proposed to realize the programmability of the chemical reaction process using thermoelectric material with programmable electric current and employing preprogrammed reversible chemical reactants. The programmable chemical reactions as soft pneumatic actuation can be operated independently as miniature gas sources (∼20–100 g) or combined with arbitrary physical structures to make self‐contained machines, capable of generating unprecedented pressures of nearly 6 MPa or forces of about 18 kN in a controllable, portable, and silent manner. Striking demonstrations of breaking a brick, a marble, and concrete blocks, raising a sightseeing car, and successful applications in artificial muscles and soft assistive wearables illustrate tremendous application prospects of soft pneumatic actuation via programmable chemical reactions. The study establishes a new paradigm toward ultrastrong soft pneumatic actuation.
Funder
National Natural Science Foundation of China
China Postdoctoral Science Foundation
National Postdoctoral Program for Innovative Talents
Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province