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Abstract The ultimate goal of the advancements in bioelectronics and robotics is the creation of seamless interfaces between artificial devices and biological structures. Current efforts in this area have been focused on designing biocompatible, mechanically compliant, and minimally invasive electronic and robotic systems for a range of applications, such as motor control and sweat sensing. The purposeful design of bioelectronic and robotic systems using the principles of biomimicry enables the creation of biocompatible and life‐like machines and electronics. The success of such approaches relies on the new development and applications of soft materials, as well as methods of actuation and sensing that are inspired, either by composition, function, or properties, of the naturally occurring organisms. A combination of rigid structural components, soft actuators, and flexible sensors can enable the integration of such devices with biological organisms and eventually human users. In this review, we highlight the recent advances in biomimetic soft robotics and bioelectronics. We describe the soft robotic fabrication toolbox and modern solution in bioelectronics that, in our opinion, will enable the fusion of these fields by creating robotic bioelectronic systems. Future development in this area will require substantial integration of adaptable and responsive components at the biointerfaces.
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Simulation and Fabrication of Stronger, Larger, and Faster Walking Biohybrid Machines
Abstract Advancing biologically driven soft robotics and actuators will involve employing different scaffold geometries and cellular constructs to enable a controllable emergence for increased production of force. By using hydrogel scaffolds and muscle tissue, soft biological robotic actuators that are capable of motility have been successfully engineered with varying morphologies. Having the flexibility of altering geometry while ensuring tissue viability can enable advancing functional output from these machines through the implementation of new construction concepts and fabrication approaches. This study reports a forward engineering approach to computationally design the next generation of biological machines via direct numerical simulations. This was subsequently followed by fabrication and characterization of high force producing biological machines. These biological machines show millinewton forces capable of driving locomotion at speeds above 0.5 mm s−1. It is important to note that these results are predicted by computational simulations, ultimately showing excellent agreement of the predictive models and experimental results, further providing the ability to forward design future generations of these biological machines. This study aims to develop the building blocks and modular technologies capable of scaling force and complexity of these devices for applications toward solving real world problems in medicine, environment, and manufacturing.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1735252
- PAR ID:
- 10059037
- Publisher / Repository:
- Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Advanced Functional Materials
- Volume:
- 28
- Issue:
- 23
- ISSN:
- 1616-301X
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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