DURIP Streamline Fabrication and Characterization System for Prototyping Hydrogel-based Energy-self-sufficient Robotic Fish
Abstract
This proposal aims to establish new capabilities of fabricating and characterizing novel hydrogel(porous soft material-liquid electrolyte hybrid matrix) for creating the next-generation energy-selfsustaineduntethered underwater robotic system, as part of the recently awarded MURI project.This will enable the rapid prototyping of various recipes and accurate in-situ characterization ofthe novel hydrogel-based robotic systems, to expedite the process of finding the appropriatematerials best suited for the distinct parts of the complex robotic system.The proposed underwater vehicle is nearly entirely constructed by hydrogels of different structuresand properties, which serve various functions respectively: It is the main structural material of therobot#s body to provide suitable mechanical properties for actuation, and the electrolyte inside thehydrogel will be used to power the on-board batteries, which is done by the diffusion of the ions.Therefore, the mechanical and transport properties of the hydrogel, as well as the porous structureare crucial to the successful development of the underwater robot, which are all related to thevarious parameters during the fabrication. Accurately and efficiently screening of the recipe istherefore highly desired. Despite current methods having such capabilities, they are undercut bysome technical details which lower the efficiency and accuracy. For example, the widely usedfreeze dry-SEM methodfor pore structure characterization is slow and could change the inherentpore structure during the sample preparation process. And the conventional out-of-plane clampingmethod for tensile testing could have alignment issues that void the data and takes extra timeanda skilled operator to transfer samples from the mold to the tensile machine. Hence, a system thatcan efficiently and accurately conduct characterizations for various material properties is desired.To achieve this goal, in this proposal we propose to custom design and build an all-in-one systemwith home-built parts, to establish the novel capability to rapidly prototype and screen the hydrogelmaterials with various recipes. We will set up a broad-based platform for fabrication andmechanical/optical/transport property testing, capable of in-situ forming and characterizing novelhydrogels, to achieve high-efficiency materials research.The proposed automated system can, for the first time, do characterization without the need totransfer samples which circumvents many issues. This can lead to transformative impacts in theNaval and broader DOD research areas, as the proposed system will 1) establish unprecedentedresearch capability that cannot be realized by the current individual characterization equipment,which will enhance the research ability of all types of soft materials which is crucial to autonomousrobots, vehicles, or unmanned systems, 2) significantly increase the prototyping efficiency to anew level, which will accelerate the innovation of intelligent materials, automation system, androbotics, and 3) provide an unprecedented opportunity of establishing the new paradigm of softmaterials characterization with improved accuracy.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Mar 08, 2024
- Source ID
- N000142412187
Entities
People
- Ximin He
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy
- University of California, Los Angeles