基于液晶弹性体的仿尺蠖软体机器人  

Inchworm-like soft robot based on liquid crystal elastomer

作　　者：朱亚洲 刘煜莹 王亚东 谢慧婷 李恭新 ZHU Yazhou;LIU Yuying;WANG Yadong;XIE Huiting;LI Gongxin(School of Internet of Things Engineering,Jiangnan University,Wuxi 214122,China)

机构地区：[1]江南大学物联网工程学院,江苏无锡214122

出　　处：《液晶与显示》2025年第4期527-535,共9页Chinese Journal of Liquid Crystals and Displays

基　　金：国家自然科学基金(No.61903157)。

摘　　要：针对老化管道检测中传统机器人质量重和难以跨越复杂环境的问题,本文设计了一种基于液晶弹性体的仿尺蠖软体机器人。该软体机器人由两端锚定驱动器和中间的屈伸驱动器构成,驱动器主要由液晶弹性体(LCE)和聚酰亚胺(PI)柔性电热薄膜组成,通过电致液晶弹性体形变实现驱动器工作。该软体机器人通过控制两个锚定驱动器交替运动及屈伸驱动器的协同配合实现爬行。本文研究了驱动器特征参数对驱动性能的影响,通过有限元分析与实验相结合的方式验证了软体机器人运动步态的合理性,并通过在不同环境(水平面、斜坡、复杂管道)中的运动实验进一步探究了机器人的运动性能。实验结果表明,软体机器人的最大移动速度可达24.1 mm/min,并且能够在复杂管道环境内稳定运动。所设计的液晶弹性机器人可为复杂管道检测的实现提供一种新思路。To tackle the challenges posed by traditional robots,which are often heavy and struggle to navigate complex environments in aging pipeline inspections,this paper presents a soft robot inspired by the inchworm,utilizing liquid crystal elastomers(LCE).The design features two anchoring actuators positioned at each end and a central bending-stretching actuator.These actuators are constructed primarily from liquid crystal elastomers and polyimide(PI)soft electrothermal films,functioning through electromechanical deformation of the LCEs.The soft robot achieves locomotion by managing the alternating movements of the two anchoring actuators in conjunction with the bending-stretching actuator.Initially,the paper examines how various actuator characteristic parameters influence driving performance.By integrating finite element analysis with practical experiments,the viability of the soft robot’s gait is confirmed.Additionally,motion experiments conducted in diverse environments(including flat surfaces,slopes,and complex pipelines)further assess the robot’s mobility capabilities.Experimental results indicate that the soft robot can reach a maximum speed of 24.1 mm/min and maintain stable movement in intricate pipeline environments.The liquid crystal elastomer robot developed in this study offers a novel solution for inspecting complex pipelines.

关 键 词：软体机器人 液晶弹性体 仿尺蠖 主动锚定 

分 类 号：O753.2[理学—晶体学]