Future robots and intelligent systems will autonomously navigate in unstructured environments and closely collaborate with humans; integrated with our bodies and minds, they will allow us to surpass our physical limitations. Traditional robots are mostly built from rigid, metallic components and electromagnetic motors, which make them heavy, expensive, unsafe near people, and ill‐suited for unpredictable environments. By contrast, biological organisms make extensive use of soft materials and radically outperform robots in terms of dexterity, agility, and adaptability. Particularly, natural muscle—a masterpiece of evolution—has long inspired researchers to create “artificial muscles” in an attempt to replicate its versatility, seamless integration with sensing, and ability to self‐heal. To date, natural muscle remains unmatched in all‐round performance, but rapid advancements in soft robotics have brought viable alternatives closer than ever. Herein, the recent development of hydraulically amplified self‐healing electrostatic (HASEL) actuators, a new class of high‐performance, self‐sensing artificial muscles that couple electrostatic and hydraulic forces to achieve diverse modes of actuation, is discussed; current designs match or exceed natural muscle in many metrics. Research on materials, designs, fabrication, modeling, and control systems for HASEL actuators is detailed. In each area, research opportunities are identified, which together lays out a roadmap for actuators with drastically improved performance. With their unique versatility and wide potential for further improvement, HASEL actuators are poised to play an important role in a paradigm shift that fundamentally challenges the current limitations of robotic hardware toward future intelligent systems that replicate the vast capabilities of biological organisms.
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.
more » « less- Award ID(s):
- 1848613
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10445124
- Publisher / Repository:
- Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- VIEW
- Volume:
- 3
- Issue:
- 3
- ISSN:
- 2688-268X
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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