mxene academic
Donghua
QQ Academic Group: 1092348845
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North Konamis thermally camouflaged MXene robotic skin (customizable) provides biomimetic stimulation sensation and wireless communication
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Cephalopod skin with dynamic optical camouflage, environmental perception, and group communication has long been a biological inspiration for the development of soft robots with incredible optoelectronic capabilities. However, challenges still remain in designing stretchable and compliant robotic skins with advanced functional integration for soft robots with infinite degrees of freedom.
Scholars from Donghua University have developed an emerging two-dimensional material, Ti3C2Tx, and employed MXene and interface engineering strategies to fabricate multifunctional soft robotic skins. By exploiting interfacial instabilities, MXene robotic skin with reconfigurable microtextures exhibits tunable infrared emission (0.30–0.80), enabling dynamic thermal camouflage for soft robots. Benefiting from the inherent Seebeck effect, crack propagation behavior, and high electrical conductivity, the MXene robotic skin is tightly coupled with heat/strain sensing capabilities to serve as deformable antennas for wireless communications. Without installing additional electronics, a soft robot wearing a conformal MXene skin performs adaptive thermal camouflage based on thermoelectric feedback in response to changes in ambient temperature. A related article is published in Advanced Functional Materials under the title "Thermal Camouflaging MXene Robotic Skin with Bio-Inspired Stimulus Sensation and Wireless Communication".
Paper link:
https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202110534
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Figure 1. Schematic illustration of a multifunctional artificial robotic skin based on reconfigurable MXene microtextures. a) The design concept of the MXene robotic skin inspired by the soft skin of cephalopods. b) MXene robotic skins are highly stretchable and can be used as i) tunable infrared emitters capable of dynamic thermal camouflage to hide soft robots with high surface temperatures, ii) dual-function piezoresistive and pyroelectric sensors for monitoring Reversible robot actuation and ambient real-time temperature changes, iii) Microwave dipole antenna, enabling remote robot-robot communication to send/receive wireless signals.
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Figure 2. MXene robotic skin with tunable infrared emission for dynamic thermal camouflage. a) Infrared emission (absorption) spectra of a wrinkled textured MXene film and a planar MXene film. b) Simulated electric field distributions at incident EM wavelengths of 9 μm (top) and 13 μm for two simplified MXene models (different dimensions: one 5.4 × 3.2 μm and the other 8.0 × 5.0 μm, wavelength × amplitude), respectively (bottom). c) Schematic (top) and SEM images (bottom) of the MXene robotic skin under increased areal strain. d) Infrared emission (absorption) spectra of the MXene robotic skin under different areal strains. e) Temperature under strain in different regions at temperature recorded by thermal imager.
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Figure 3. Cephalopod-inspired thermal camouflage array based on MXene-coated dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs). a) Digital photograph of cephalopod skin showing dynamic optical camouflage through reversible contraction (top) and expansion (bottom) of its pigment cells. b) Schematic diagram of the MXene-coated DEA. c) Surface strain and temperature change of a circular MXene-coated DEA (2 cm in diameter). d) Infrared thermal images of two MXene-coated DEA arrays with triangular (top) and pentagonal (bottom) patterns, showing dynamic infrared camouflage similar to cephalopod pigment cells.
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Figure 4. Thermally camouflaged MXene robotic skin with advanced functional integration of thermal, strain-sensing, and wireless communication. a) Schematic illustration of the soft machine wearing the biomimetic multifunctional MXene robotic skin. b) Output thermoelectric voltage of the MXene robotic skin as a function of temperature difference (ΔT). c) Thermoelectric voltage changes of MXene robotic skin under repeated stimulation of cold (ΔT≈ -9 °C) and hot (ΔT≈ +9 °C). d) Relative resistance changes of the MXene robotic skin under different regional strains. e) Changes in resistance of the soft-walking robot wearing two MXene robot skins in different motion modes. The inset is a photo of a soft-walking robot.
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Figure 5. An "all-in-one" soft robot is capable of adaptive thermal camouflage, biomimetic stimulus perception and wireless inter-robot communication. a) Schematic diagram of a soft-walking robot wearing three MXene robotic skin modules at designated locations. b) Perform robotic functions by utilizing three MXene skin modules. c) Adaptive thermal camouflage of two soft robots and their mutual communication. d) Strain/thermal sensation and wireless communication signals recorded during adaptive thermal camouflage.
In conclusion, inspired by cephalopod skin, the MXene robotic skin possesses four tightly integrated functions, thanks to their advantageous properties: 1) reconfigurable wrinkle-like microtextures, 2) interesting infrared optical features (Δe ≈0.5), 3) high electrical conductivity (≈2500 S m -1 ), and 4) intrinsic thermoelectric properties (Seebeck coefficient of -5.88 μV K -1 ). This paper envisions that MXene robotic skins with advanced functional integration can be applied to various future technologies.
First, due to its mechanical flexibility and ultrathin properties, MXene robotic skins can be integrated into many other actuation systems (e.g., hydraulic, electric, and magnetic) without affecting their actuation behavior, thereby conferring similar enhancements to various soft robots Function. Second, reconfigurable MXene microtextures with tunable infrared emission can be used to develop smart clothes for personal thermal management and infrared displays for invisible signal transmission. Third, advanced printing techniques can be used to equip MXene robotic skins with complex, higher-resolution patterns onto microrobots, given the simple fabrication process and simple device configuration. Last but not least, by integrating on-chip machine learning, dual-channel data for strain and temperature sensing can be processed in the field (without transferring the data to the data center), allowing untethered soft robots to plan follow-up actions without human intervention . (Text: SSC)
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Cephalopod skin with dynamic optical camouflage, environmental perception, and group communication has long been a biological inspiration for the development of soft robots with incredible optoelectronic capabilities. However, challenges still remain in designing stretchable and compliant robotic skins with advanced functional integration for soft robots with infinite degrees of freedom.
Scholars from Donghua University have developed an emerging two-dimensional material, Ti3C2Tx, and employed MXene and interface engineering strategies to fabricate multifunctional soft robotic skins. By exploiting interfacial instabilities, MXene robotic skin with reconfigurable microtextures exhibits tunable infrared emission (0.30–0.80), enabling dynamic thermal camouflage for soft robots. Benefiting from the inherent Seebeck effect, crack propagation behavior, and high electrical conductivity, the MXene robotic skin is tightly coupled with heat/strain sensing capabilities to serve as deformable antennas for wireless communications. Without installing additional electronics, a soft robot wearing a conformal MXene skin performs adaptive thermal camouflage based on thermoelectric feedback in response to changes in ambient temperature. A related article is published in Advanced Functional Materials under the title "Thermal Camouflaging MXene Robotic Skin with Bio-Inspired Stimulus Sensation and Wireless Communication".
Paper link:
https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202110534
picture
picture
Figure 1. Schematic illustration of a multifunctional artificial robotic skin based on reconfigurable MXene microtextures. a) The design concept of the MXene robotic skin inspired by the soft skin of cephalopods. b) MXene robotic skins are highly stretchable and can be used as i) tunable infrared emitters capable of dynamic thermal camouflage to hide soft robots with high surface temperatures, ii) dual-function piezoresistive and pyroelectric sensors for monitoring Reversible robot actuation and ambient real-time temperature changes, iii) Microwave dipole antenna, enabling remote robot-robot communication to send/receive wireless signals.
picture
Figure 2. MXene robotic skin with tunable infrared emission for dynamic thermal camouflage. a) Infrared emission (absorption) spectra of a wrinkled textured MXene film and a planar MXene film. b) Simulated electric field distributions at incident EM wavelengths of 9 μm (top) and 13 μm for two simplified MXene models (different dimensions: one 5.4 × 3.2 μm and the other 8.0 × 5.0 μm, wavelength × amplitude), respectively (bottom). c) Schematic (top) and SEM images (bottom) of the MXene robotic skin under increased areal strain. d) Infrared emission (absorption) spectra of the MXene robotic skin under different areal strains. e) Temperature under strain in different regions at temperature recorded by thermal imager.
picture
Figure 3. Cephalopod-inspired thermal camouflage array based on MXene-coated dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs). a) Digital photograph of cephalopod skin showing dynamic optical camouflage through reversible contraction (top) and expansion (bottom) of its pigment cells. b) Schematic diagram of the MXene-coated DEA. c) Surface strain and temperature change of a circular MXene-coated DEA (2 cm in diameter). d) Infrared thermal images of two MXene-coated DEA arrays with triangular (top) and pentagonal (bottom) patterns, showing dynamic infrared camouflage similar to cephalopod pigment cells.
picture
Figure 4. Thermally camouflaged MXene robotic skin with advanced functional integration of thermal, strain-sensing, and wireless communication. a) Schematic illustration of the soft machine wearing the biomimetic multifunctional MXene robotic skin. b) Output thermoelectric voltage of the MXene robotic skin as a function of temperature difference (ΔT). c) Thermoelectric voltage changes of MXene robotic skin under repeated stimulation of cold (ΔT≈ -9 °C) and hot (ΔT≈ +9 °C). d) Relative resistance changes of the MXene robotic skin under different regional strains. e) Changes in resistance of the soft-walking robot wearing two MXene robot skins in different motion modes. The inset is a photo of a soft-walking robot.
picture
Figure 5. An "all-in-one" soft robot is capable of adaptive thermal camouflage, biomimetic stimulus perception and wireless inter-robot communication. a) Schematic diagram of a soft-walking robot wearing three MXene robotic skin modules at designated locations. b) Perform robotic functions by utilizing three MXene skin modules. c) Adaptive thermal camouflage of two soft robots and their mutual communication. d) Strain/thermal sensation and wireless communication signals recorded during adaptive thermal camouflage.
In conclusion, inspired by cephalopod skin, the MXene robotic skin possesses four tightly integrated functions, thanks to their advantageous properties: 1) reconfigurable wrinkle-like microtextures, 2) interesting infrared optical features (Δe ≈0.5), 3) high electrical conductivity (≈2500 S m -1 ), and 4) intrinsic thermoelectric properties (Seebeck coefficient of -5.88 μV K -1 ). This paper envisions that MXene robotic skins with advanced functional integration can be applied to various future technologies.
First, due to its mechanical flexibility and ultrathin properties, MXene robotic skins can be integrated into many other actuation systems (e.g., hydraulic, electric, and magnetic) without affecting their actuation behavior, thereby conferring similar enhancements to various soft robots Function. Second, reconfigurable MXene microtextures with tunable infrared emission can be used to develop smart clothes for personal thermal management and infrared displays for invisible signal transmission. Third, advanced printing techniques can be used to equip MXene robotic skins with complex, higher-resolution patterns onto microrobots, given the simple fabrication process and simple device configuration. Last but not least, by integrating on-chip machine learning, dual-channel data for strain and temperature sensing can be processed in the field (without transferring the data to the data center), allowing untethered soft robots to plan follow-up actions without human intervention . (Text: SSC)
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