Graphene Helps a Robot Creep Like an Inchworm 36
LilaG writes "To develop new materials for robotics, scientists have developed graphene-based actuators that convert electricity into motion. In robots, actuators act like muscles, driving the movement of mechanical arms and fins. Most actuator materials, such as ceramics and conductive polymers, respond slowly, require a lot of power, or provide very little force. To make speedy, strong actuators, Chinese researchers coated graphene paper with the polymer polydiacetylene. Graphene provides a highly conductive, flexible backing for the fragile polymer crystals, which deform in response to electrical current. The actuators can bend 200 times per second and generate more force than most current materials. Using a sheet of the material, the scientists built a simple inchworm robot that arches and relaxes to crawl forward."
"Robot Creep"? (Score:2, Funny)
Dammit, Enough about Romney's personality already!
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*golf clap*
All I see is (Score:5, Interesting)
a CAD drawing and a bunch of ad's, I see nothing built unless someone wants to pony up 35 bucks for a PDF file?
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It's a journal article, for crying out loud, not a first run, major studio, feature film!
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Since it's a journal article, they can try going to their local university library where they may be able to access it for free. It's not an option for everyone, but people who are interested and have a university library that offers free access to (e)journals should learn to get off their lazy asses to fulfill those interests.
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I wonder if it works backwards (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:I wonder if it works backwards (Score:5, Informative)
From the summary, it sounds like the graphene is just a substrate for run-of-the-mill piezoelectric crystals. If so, then yes, the process should be reversible.
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We did something similar in 1999 (Score:5, Interesting)
It was a Project for my undergrad. We called it ANT5. We used nitinol as actuators, and build our small ant robot. I should test with the new material
Advantage (Score:3)
Is there an advantage over conventional motors, other than it looking a bit more "bio"?
Re:Advantage (Score:5, Informative)
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they can also operate with more than a fraction of a gram loads
Polymer+carbon? (Score:1)
Is this that polycarbon stuff from Gibson's Sprawl trilogy?/
But can it... (Score:2)
Can it measure the marigolds?
This is the future... (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:This is the future... (Score:4, Informative)
This kind of shapeshifting only works on a small scale where you don't need much force. For big, strong robots you can use pneumatics/hydraulics for smooth movement.
The real question is.. (Score:1)
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Why Chinese? Isn't it strange how AFRICANS never actually contribute anything to the world, yet most of the idiots on Slashdot will lie and say that they actually LIKE having millions of them in their previously all white countries...
Money man, Asian, Europeans and others have money to do research.
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Inchworm robot? (Score:3)
Video or didn't happen.
I for one wish to (Score:2)