Bionic magnetic anisotropic flexible belts capable of achieving complex motion functions via single magnetic field control

Abstract Aiming at the problems of limited manufacturing methods of traditional magnetic flexible actuators, insufficient mechanical properties of materials, and complex motion operations, a bionic magnetic anisotropic flexible belt capable of achieving complex motion functions under unidirectional magnetic field control has been designed and manufactured. Firstly, a high-strength flexible polyurethane material (with tensile strength of 35.12 MPa and 15.54 MPa after healing) was developed by synthesizing polyurethane containing disulfide bonds and hydrogen bonds, which simultaneously possesses excellent thermal stability and strong self-healing ability. Subsequently, inspired by the movement mechanism of the inchworm, we innovatively utilized the self-healing property of flexible polyurethane materials, alternately assembling magnetized and non-magnetized units to design a magnetic anisotropic flexible belt. The different arrangements of magnetic units within the flexible band enable it to perform bionic crawling, flipping and other movement modes under the wireless control of a unidirectional magnetic field, and also demonstrate its efficient load-bearing capacity. Finally, we integrated the pH fluorescent detection solution with a flexible band to create an actuator with pH detection function, demonstrating the application capability of remote control detection of the actuator. In this paper, multiple movements of flexible belts are achieved by using unidirectional magnetic fields, providing a new material-structure collaborative design strategy for flexible drive technology in complex scenarios.