Past generations of soft actuators — designed to respond to light, heat and chemical reactions — typically exhibited slow actuation times and limited precision. Newer magnetically controlled soft actuators perform better in these areas, but they are challenging to manufacture. Ferromagnetic particles with controlled directional magnetization must be embedded into the actuator’s polymer skin, a process that requires specialized 3D printers and lithography techniques.
Now, Lin’s team may have solved this issue. Using their bone-in-flesh design, the...
