Journal
2022 IEEE SENSORS
Volume -, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
IEEE
DOI: 10.1109/SENSORS52175.2022.9967174
Keywords
Diving/Surfacing device; PNIPAM hydrogel; Thermosensitivity
Funding
- Creative Research Initiative Center for Self-Powered Actuation in National Research Foundation of Korea
- National Research Foundation [2016R1C1B2012340]
- Ministry of Science, ICT & Future Planning (MSIP)
- National Research Foundation of Korea [2016R1C1B2012340] Funding Source: Korea Institute of Science & Technology Information (KISTI), National Science & Technology Information Service (NTIS)
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This study reports a diving/surfacing device made from thermo-sensitive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) hydrogel. The device shows fast and reversible diving/surfacing cycles in response to heating and cooling. The results suggest the potential of controllable PNIPAM hydrogel devices for underwater micro robots.
Underwater robots and vehicles are highly interested research area because their potential applications in sensing and search. A challenge for the underwater devices is realization of three-dimensional locomotion in water. Herein we report a diving/surfacing device made from thermo-sensitive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) hydrogel. The PNIPAM hydrogel device shows fast and reversible diving/surfacing cycles in response to heating and cooling. The interaction between PNIPAM and water molecules makes density change of devices, resulting in diving/surfacing locomotion. Above the lower critical solution temperature (LCST), the hydrogel surfaces through deswelling process. Conversely, below the LCST, the hydrogel dives through swelling process. We also demonstrated the reversible diving/surfacing cycles of the PNIPAM hydrogel device through electrical stimulation. These results suggest the potential of controllable PNIPAM hydrogel devices for underwater micro robots.
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