BIOINSPIRED LIGHT-DRIVEN SOFT ROBOTS BY A FACILE TWO-MODE LASER ENGRAVING AND CUTTING PROCESS

We present a light-driven soft robot fabricated by a facile, two-mode laser engraving and cutting process to emulate the crawling motion of inchworm. A porous laser-induced graphene layer is introduced as both a pliable photothermal absorber and a faster heat dissipation material through its high specific surface area. The robot structure is defined and cut via a laser cutting operation, which is very easy to implement to make complex structures. Continuous robot motion of the prototype soft robots under light stimulation has achieved a speed of similar to 26 mm/min and a cooling process of 5 s. We envision this fabrication approach and operation principle can be extended as a tool for the advancements of the developing soft robots.

Automated summary

The study introduced a light-driven soft robot fabricated using a simple laser engraving and cutting process to mimic the crawling motion of inchworm. The robot utilized a porous laser-induced graphene layer for photothermal absorption and heat dissipation. Continuous robot motion achieved a significant speed under light stimulation, showcasing potential for advancement in soft robotics.