Researchers led by Professor Rebecca Kramer-Bottiglio have created a low-power, flexible and
To implement these functions in a roboticfabric, the team used functional materials and converted them into fibrous form. Thus, they were able to integrate them into the fabric while maintaining all the properties.
The team used a metal-epoxy compositeField, which can become flexible like latex rubber or tough like a solid polymer. Exposing the Field metal at a certain temperature can give it different properties - it melts at a relatively low temperature of 62 ° C, becoming soft and ductile, but at room temperature it is fixed in a certain shape.
“Metal-epoxy composite can be flexible,like latex rubber, or tough like a hard material. Its initial hardness can become a thousand times greater, depending on heating or cooling. Long fibers of this material can be sewn onto the fabric to give it a supporting frame that we can turn on and off. "
researchers from Stanford University
Using these properties, a team of scientists was able toto develop a robotic fabric that could not only change shape, but also become a supporting material - holding up to 50 grams of weight. The sensors that allowed the fabric to detect and respond to internal and external changes were made from conductive ink. This non-toxic ink has been used to paint sensors on fabric.
To change the shape, the researchers usedan SMA processor that can be programmed to remember a specific shape—for example, a fiber that returns to its original shape after deformation. The team believes the technology could be used to create self-expanding tents, robotic parachutes, and assistive clothing.
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