Reconfigurable Soft Pneumatic Actuators Using Multi-Material Self-Healing Polymers

Self-healing polymers, which can autonomously repair damage or be repaired through simple treatments, have garnered attention due to their flexibility in addressing damage and enabling long-term use in soft robotics. Many studies on the application of self-healing polymers to soft robotics have focused on realizing healable systems. Such a mechanism makes it possible to construct soft robots. Despite previous research on reconfigurable soft robots, the reconfiguration of actuators—critical components for determining actuation—has not been explored extensively. We propose a method for constructing reconfigurable soft pneumatic actuators using multi-material self-healing polymers, thus enhancing the adaptability and functionality of soft robotic systems. The actuator comprises stretchable and less-stretchable self-healing polymers, which allow for durable and versatile configurations. By adjusting the placement of the less-stretchable polymer on the actuator surface, we can design and alter the deformation, thus achieving various forms of actuation. Our research demonstrates the feasibility of actuators capable of bending, contracting, twisting, and elongating. We provide examples of their application in actuator fabrication, thus showcasing the potential of our study in inspiring the design and fabrication of soft robots utilizing self-healing polymers