4.6 Review

Multicomponent and multifunctional integrated miniature soft robots

Journal

SOFT MATTER
Volume 18, Issue 39, Pages 7464-7485

Publisher

ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY
DOI: 10.1039/d2sm00891b

Keywords

-

Funding

  1. Hong Kong Research Grants Council (RGC) [JLFS/E-402/18, C1134-20GF, RFS2122-4S03]
  2. Croucher Foundation [CAS20403]
  3. CUHK internal grants
  4. Multi-scale Medical Robotics Centre (MRC)
  5. InnoHK, at the Hong Kong Science Park
  6. CUHK-SIAT Joint Research Laboratory on Robotics and Intelligent Systems

Ask authors/readers for more resources

This article provides an overview of various integration strategies for miniature soft robotic systems, including different manufacturing methods and material designs. These robots have complex structures and programmable physical properties, enabling them to adapt to different application scenarios.
Miniature soft robots with elaborate structures and programmable physical properties could conduct micromanipulation with high precision as well as access confined and tortuous spaces, which promise benefits in medical tasks and environmental monitoring. To improve the functionalities and adaptability of miniature soft robots, a variety of integrated design and fabrication strategies have been proposed for the development of miniaturized soft robotic systems integrated with multicomponents and multifunctionalities. Combining the latest advancement in fabrication technologies, intelligent materials and active control methods enable these integrated robotic systems to adapt to increasingly complex application scenarios including precision medicine, intelligent electronics, and environmental and proprioceptive sensing. Herein, this review delivers an overview of various integration strategies applicable for miniature soft robotic systems, including semiconductor and microelectronic techniques, modular assembly based on self-healing and welding, modular assembly based on bonding agents, laser machining techniques, template assisted methods with modular material design, and 3D printing techniques. Emerging applications of the integrated miniature soft robots and perspectives for the future design of small-scale intelligent robots are discussed.

Authors

I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.

Reviews

Primary Rating

4.6
Not enough ratings

Secondary Ratings

Novelty
-
Significance
-
Scientific rigor
-
Rate this paper

Recommended

No Data Available
No Data Available