Light-Driven Liquid Crystal Elastomer Actuators Based on Surface Plasmon Resonance for Soft Robots

Caterpillars possess a combination of structural flexibility and the ability to transition between peristaltic crawling and elastic jumping for swift movement, presenting an opportunity for the development and examination of versatile and highly environmentally adaptable bionic robots. Here, we report a photothermally responsive untethered caterpillar-inspired Janus-type soft robot, featuring a driver layer composed of Ag nanowires (AgNWs) with a photothermal effect enhanced by localized surface plasmon resonance incorporated into a liquid crystal elastomer (LCE). By integration of this LCE active layer with a polyimide passive layer, the strain mismatch and bending moment of the robot are enhanced, enabling rapid, substantial, and reversible deformations. The interlayer mismatch assembly strategy and the central symmetry of the Janus structure enable the Janus-type soft robot to perform various locomotion maneuvers, including continuous crawling at a rate of 1.5 BL/min, tumbling at a speed of 1.875 BL/min, and instantaneous jumping at a speed of 351 BL/min. The robot demonstrates adaptive locomotion capabilities in challenging environments with diverse frictions and obstacles, such as slopes, stones, gravel, and grass. This showcases the potential of this approach for customized path planning and autonomous reconnaissance expeditions in complex settings. Furthermore, a three-dimensional AgNW network resembling a spiderweb was fabricated using modulated electrospinning technology, achieving a high photothermal conversion efficiency of 36.42% at a very low surface noble metal ion content (0.035 mg/cm²).