An intelligent soft material that curls under pressure or expands when stretched - Headline Science

Plants and animals can rapidly respond to changes in their environment, such as a Venus flytrap snapping shut when a fly touches it. Ideally, soft robots would mimic the intelligent and autonomous behaviors seen in nature, combining sensing and controlled movement. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces have printed liquid metal circuits onto a single piece of soft polymer, creating an intelligent material that curls under mechanical pressure or stretching. “Magnetic Printing of Liquid Metal for Perceptive Soft Actuators with Embodied Intelligence” - Chao Zhao and Hong Liu, corresponding authors Headline Science: ACS Fall 2020 Virtual Meeting & Expo Press Conferences: Press Conferences ACSSanDiego: S