Power-efficient low-temperature woven coiled fibre actuator for wearable applications.
A fibre actuator that generates a large strain with high specific power represents a promising strategy to develop novel wearable devices and robotics. We propose a new coiled-fibre actuator based on highly drawn, hard linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) fibres. Driven by resistance heating, the actuator can be operated at temperatures as low as 60 °C and uses only 20% of the power consumed by previously coiled fibre actuators when generating 20 MPa of stress at 10% strain. In this temperature range, 1600 W kg-1of specific work (8 times that of a skeletal muscle) at 69 MPa of tensile stress (230 times that of a skeletal muscle) with a work efficiency of 2% is achieved. The actuator generates strain as high as 23% at 90 °C. Given the low driving temperature, the actuator can be combined with common fabrics or stretchable conductive elastomers without thermal degradation, allowing for easy use in wearable systems. Nanostructural analysis implies that the lamellar crystals in drawn LLDPE fibres are weakly bridged with each other, which allows for easy deformation into compact helical shapes via twisting and the generation of large strain with high work efficiency.
Panasonic Corporation, Advanced Research Division 3-4 Hikaridai, Seika-cho, Kyoto, 619-0237, Japan.
Maki
M
Hiraoka
Panasonic Corporation, Advanced Research Division 3-4 Hikaridai, Seika-cho, Kyoto, 619-0237, Japan.
Kunihiko
K
Nakamura
Panasonic Corporation, Advanced Research Division 3-4 Hikaridai, Seika-cho, Kyoto, 619-0237, Japan.
Hidekazu
H
Arase
Panasonic Corporation, Advanced Research Division 3-4 Hikaridai, Seika-cho, Kyoto, 619-0237, Japan.
Katsuhiko
K
Asai
Panasonic Corporation, Advanced Research Division 3-4 Hikaridai, Seika-cho, Kyoto, 619-0237, Japan.
Yuriko
Y
Kaneko
Panasonic Corporation, Advanced Research Division 3-4 Hikaridai, Seika-cho, Kyoto, 619-0237, Japan.
Stephen W
SW
John
Panasonic Corporation, Advanced Research Division 3-4 Hikaridai, Seika-cho, Kyoto, 619-0237, Japan.
Kenji
K
Tagashira
Panasonic Corporation, Advanced Research Division 3-4 Hikaridai, Seika-cho, Kyoto, 619-0237, Japan.
Atsushi
A
Omote
D003080:Cold Temperature; D004867:Equipment Design; D020959:Polyethylene; D012371:Robotics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D000076251:Wearable Electronic Devices
D020959:Polyethylene