Cutaneous muscles drive the texture‐modulation behavior of cephalopods by protruding several millimeters out of the skin. Inspired by cephalopods, a self‐morphing, stretchable smart skin containing embedded‐printed electrodes and actuated by Twisted Spiral Artificial Muscles (TSAMs) is proposed. Electrothermally actuated TSAMs are manufactured from inexpensive polymer fibers to mimic the papillae muscles of cephalopods. These spirals can produce strains of nearly 2000% using a voltage of only 0.02 V mm−1. Stretchable and low‐resistance liquid metal electrodes are embedded‐printed inside the self‐morphing skin to facilitate the electrothermal actuation of TSAMs. Theoretical and numerical models are proposed to describe the embedded printing of low‐viscosity Newtonian liquid metals as conductive electrodes in a soft elastomeric substrate. Experimental mechanical tests are performed to demonstrate the robustness and electrical stability of the electrodes. Two smart skin prototypes are fabricated to highlight the capabilities of the proposed self‐morphing system, including a texture‐modulating wearable soft glove and a waterproof skin that emulates the texture‐modulation behavior of octopi underwater. The proposed self‐morphing stretchable smart skin can find use in a wide range of applications, such as refreshable Braille displays, haptic feedback devices, turbulence tripping, and antifouling devices for underwater vehicles.
The skin of the cephalopod is a 3D display, where the papillae muscles control the protrusion of each voxel by several millimeters out of the skin plane, create hierarchical textures, and collectively change the overall skin pattern in a fraction of a second. A material system capable of mimicking this response using electromechanical actuation of twisted spiral artificial muscles (TSAMs) is presented in this study. TSAMs leverage the mechanics of their twisted geometry to extend out of plane by 8 mm, corresponding to 2000% strain using a voltage of only 0.02 V mm−1. They are made of polymer fibers wrapped with a helical metal wire. These actuators are assembled on a stretchable skin with the required flexible electrical connections to form an array of digital texture voxels (DTVs). The DTV array produces arbitrary 3D surface patterns on‐demand, and provides opportunities to control hydrodynamic drag, camouflage, and haptic displays.
more » « less- Award ID(s):
- 1825758
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10460117
- Publisher / Repository:
- Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Advanced Materials Technologies
- Volume:
- 4
- Issue:
- 8
- ISSN:
- 2365-709X
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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