Thermally Active Liquid Crystal Network Gripper Mimicking the Self-Peeling of Gecko Toe Pads.

Adv Mater

Department of Chemical Engineering, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, Institute for Polymer Research, and Centre for Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 200 University Avenue W, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada.

Published: January 2017

Self-peeling of gecko toes is mimicked by integration of film-terminated fibrillar adhesives to hybrid nematic liquid crystal network (LCN) cantilevers. A soft gripper is developed based on the gecko-inspired attachment/detachment mechanism. Performance of the fabricated gripper for transportation of thin delicate objects is evaluated by the optimum mechanical strength of the LCN and the maximum size of the adhesive patch.

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http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/adma.201604021DOI Listing

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