Multi-Assembly of Soft Electroactive Polymeric Yarn Actuators by Using Textile Processes

• Textile assembly methods offer great possibilities to create complex, large-scale, multi-functional 2D materials (fabrics) by a continuous process of structuring yarns together, in an architected manner. By designing a specific pattern and using functionalized yarns the properties of such a fabric can enable a variety of roles for example actuation and mechanical stimuli. Moreover, actuation can be achieved in several directions as the textile assembly enables the construction of a network where yarns can be independently addressed in X and/or Y direction. These are advantages that can be utilized in the field of soft robotics in many ways. The requirements for human-robotic interactions call for soft and compliant materials that are safe for such collaborative interactions and involve several types of functionalities. Textiles are easily conformed to the body, whether that is a robotic or a human one. Here we report on the integration of novel functional actuating yarns in the purpose of creating pliable textile actuators that also exhibit versatile morphing  capabilities. The yarns consist of three layers; two of which are made of thin poly (3, 4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly (styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT: PSS) coatings that cover opposite sides of the third layer, an ionogel. This stretchable gel supplies the system with ions for the actuation mechanism and therefore enables in-air actuation. The yarns are transformed into fabrics by using woven assembly techniques. This is an additive method that structures one set of yarns in a parallel sequence that is perpendicular to another second set of yarns. By structuring a number of yarns together in parallel the performance in terms of force output including blocking force is shown to increase. The textile assembly process allows for two approaches, collective and individual addressing for the actuating yarns. For the former, arranging the yarns into different pre-determined segments enable collective actuation of each segment to change the overall shape of the textile structure. In regards to the latter, by individual addressing we show that a specific and targeted actuation can be achieved. Furthermore, the arrangement in which the yarns are interlaced in the fabric enables switching the modality of the actuation. This means that we can alter a motion specific to the yarns into another by their arrangement in the textile structure. With our developed textile assembly method, we are approaching low-cost, large-scale production of actuating systems for human-robotic applications

Ämnesord

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Materialteknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Materials Engineering (hsv//eng)

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