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Smart Thermally Actuating Textiles
Author(s) -
Sanchez Vanessa,
Payne Christopher J.,
Preston Daniel J.,
Alvarez Jonathan T.,
Weaver James C.,
Atalay Asli T.,
Boyvat Mustafa,
Vogt Daniel M.,
Wood Robert J.,
Whitesides George M.,
Walsh Conor J.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
advanced materials technologies
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.184
H-Index - 42
ISSN - 2365-709X
DOI - 10.1002/admt.202000383
Subject(s) - actuator , wearable computer , robot , textile , exploit , pneumatic actuator , personalization , soft robotics , computer science , limiting , control engineering , embedded system , materials science , mechanical engineering , engineering , artificial intelligence , computer security , world wide web , composite material
Abstract Soft robots have attracted attention for biomedical and consumer devices. However, most of these robots are pneumatically actuated, requiring a tether and thus limiting wearable applications that require multiple controlled actuators. By pairing liquid‐vapor phase change actuation with a textile‐based laminated manufacturing method, smart thermally actuating textiles (STATs) eliminate the need for a pneumatic tether. STATs are lightweight and unobtrusive for wearable applications and exploit a facile manufacturing approach that supports arbitrary customization of the form factor and easy creation of connected arrays of individual robotic modules. Through integrated sensing and heating elements, STATs demonstrate closed‐loop feedback that enables dynamic pressure control in the presence of environmental temperature fluctuations.