title: Thermally Active Liquid Crystal Network Gripper Mimicking the Self-Peeling of Gecko Toe Pads.
abstract: Self-peeling of gecko toes is mimicked by integration of film-terminated fibrillar adhesives to hybrid nematic liquid crystal network (LCN) cantilevers. A soft gripper is developed based on the gecko-inspired attachment/detachment mechanism. Performance of the fabricated gripper for transportation of thin delicate objects is evaluated by the optimum mechanical strength of the LCN and the maximum size of the adhesive patch.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, Institute for Polymer Research, and Centre for Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 200 University Avenue W, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada.|Chemical Physics Interdisciplinary Program and Liquid Crystal Institute, Kent State University, Kent, OH, 44242, USA.
authors.forename: Hamed
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shahsavan
authors.affiliation: Chemical Physics Interdisciplinary Program and Liquid Crystal Institute, Kent State University, Kent, OH, 44242, USA.
authors.forename: Seyyed Muhammad
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Salili
authors.affiliation: Chemical Physics Interdisciplinary Program and Liquid Crystal Institute, Kent State University, Kent, OH, 44242, USA.|Complex Fluids Group, Wigner Research Centre, H-1121, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Antal
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jákli
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, Institute for Polymer Research, and Centre for Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 200 University Avenue W, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada.
authors.forename: Boxin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhao
keywords: biomimetics; grippers; liquid crystal networks; self-peeling