Flexible electromagnetic capturer with a rapid ejection feature inspired by a biological ballistic tongue

Abstract Bionics is the inspiration resource of state-of-the-art science and technology. The chameleon can capture prey at great distances with the assistance of its highly stretchable and ballistic tongue. Inspired by this biological structure, here we demonstrate the fabrication of flexible electromagnetic manipulators. The as-prepared flexible electromagnetic manipulator can reach a maximum velocity of 8.1 m s −1 and acceleration of 627 m s −2 at an applied voltage of 360 V. The working mechanism of this flexible electromagnetic manipulator has been studied based on Maxwell and Abaqus simulations. Diverse parameters, including the lengths of the magnetic tube (the cylindrical magnet) and the whole manipulator and the applied voltage values, have been considered to tune the ejecting performance of the manipulator. Furthermore, flexible electromagnetic manipulators can be upgraded to capture various objects by attaching a mechanical force triggered gripper to their top pads. With this design, the velocity of the gripper can be significantly improved (the maximum is 8.1 m s −1 , whereas soft grippers in previous research do not have the characteristic of fast movement), thus making it possible to get objects without approaching them; in other words, we can catch objects even though they are far away from us, which provides the possibility of long-distance capture. We believe this kind of bio-inspired fabrication is a powerful strategy to design and synthesize flexible even stretchable manipulators, extending the boundaries of conventional manipulators for soft robots.