Liquid-metal/NdFeB/Sillicone Composite Elastomer with Reprogrammable Magnetization and Modulus

Magnetic programming soft machines has great development prospects in the fields of minimally invasive medicine, wearable device and soft robot. However, unrepeatable magnetization and low modulus limits their applications. So far, there are few techniques that can make magnetic soft robots have adjustable functions, mechanical and electrical properties. This paper presented a magnetic functional elastomer based on liquid metal-NdFeB-Silicone composite materials. This magnetoelastomer uses the phase transition characteristics of liquid-metal and magnetic guided rotation of micro ferromagnetic particles to realize reprogrammable magnetization and modulus. The elastomer's fabrication method was given and the basic programmable properties were tested. Some robot prototypes have also been manufactured to show how to respond to different mission requirements by programming magnetization and modulus. Our research provides a new path for the design and large-scale manufacturing of magnetic soft robot.
Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures