English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) are a stimuli-responsive material which hasbeen intensively studied for applications including artificial muscles, shapemorphing structures, and soft robotics, due to its capability of large,programmable, and fully reversible strains. To fully take advantage of LCEs,rapid, untethered, and programmable actuation methods are highly desirable.Here, we report a liquid crystal elastomer-liquid metal (LCE-LM) composite,which enables ultrafast actuations and high heating programmability by eddycurrent induction heating. The composite consists of LM sandwiched between two3D-printed LCE layers via direct ink writing (DIW). When subject to ahigh-frequency alternating magnetic field, the composite can be actuated inmilli-seconds. By moving the magnetic field, the eddy current can be spatiallycontrolled for selective actuation. Additionally, sequential heating isachievable by programming the LM thickness distribution in a specimen. Withthese capabilities, the LCE-LM composite is further exploited for multimodaldeformation of a pop-up structure, on ground omnidirectional robotic motion, inwater targeted object manipulation, and crawling.

Liquid Crystal Elastomer-Liquid Metal Composite: Ultrafast, Untethered, and Programmable Actuation by Induction Heating