Zebing Mao

The conventional electrohydrodynamic (EHD) pump is limited to pumping functional and dielectric liquids, which restricts its applications in fields like microfluidics, food safety, and materials production. In this study, we present a flexible water pump driven by EHD fluid, achieved by integrating valveless elements into the fluidic channel. Our approach leverages the water-EHD interface to propel the immiscible aqueous liquid and reciprocate this process using the nozzle-diffuser system. All c

The previously reported electrohydrodynamic (EHD) pumps can generate bidirectional flow with asymmetrical performance in two directions. This configuration causes difficulty to control the system that the EHD pump and soft actuators are integrated. This paper proposes a new design with a simple structure to reduce the pressure difference in the two directions of the EHD pump. The EHD pump in this work consists of a flexible cover and base, copper electrodes, and soft fluidic channels, which indi

Abstract Rolling motions have been observed in many animals and insects. In the previous fluidic rolling system, a deformed chamber and long cables were imperative to drive the soft rolling actuators, which required high pressure and a sophisticated controlling strategy. In this study, we propose a soft fluidic roller using a simple structure composed of a bendable and twistable electrohydrodynamic (EHD) pump and a layer of natural latex. To realize the rolling motion, we first optimized the ele

Flexible electrohydrodynamic (EHD) pumps have been developed and applied in many fields due to no transmission structure, no wear, easy manipulation, and no noise. Physical simulation is often used to predict the output performance of flexible EHD pumps. However, this method neglects fluid-solid interaction and energy loss caused by flexible materials, which are both difficult to calculate when the flexible pumps deform. Therefore, this study proposes a flexible pump output performance predictio

As one type of active soft matter, polymer gels coupled mechanical and chemical oscillations, such as Belousov–Zhabotinsky (BZ) gels are widely researched and developed into biomimetic actuators. In the previous literature, the self-oscillating BZ cylindrical gels can generate swelling waves along their longitudinal direction when they are operated without external stimuli. Here, we explore the contraction waves of BZ gels by the means of changing the external mechanical boundary. We firstly syn

A tensegrity-based system is a promising approach for dynamic exploration of uneven, unpredictable, and confined environments. However, implementing such systems presents challenges in state recognition. In this study, we introduce a 6-strut tensegrity structure integrated with 24 multimodal strain sensors, employing a deep learning model to achieve smart tensegrity. By using conductive flexible tendons and leveraging a long short-term memory (LSTM) model, the system accomplishes self-shape reco

目的:由于现有的电动液压泵的驱动性能(压力和流量)有限,所以本文期望通过采用数字制造和堆叠的方式来提高电动液压泵的输出压力和流量。 创新点:1. 通过数字制造的方式实现可弯可扭的电动液压泵;2. 采用设计和加工后的电动液压泵来驱动偏心执行器。 方法:1. 采用实验的方式测量堆叠式电动液压泵的输出压力和流量,并与单层式电动液压泵的输出压力和流量进行对比;2. 通过驱动柔性偏心执行器的方式,评估其响应特性,并用弯曲角度大小来衡量泵源的性能。 结论:1. 设计、制造和表征了单层式和堆叠式电动液压泵。2. 通过性能比较可知,堆叠式电动液压泵的输出压力和流速分别为15.8 kPa和37.02 mL/min,而单层式电动液压泵的输出压力和流速分别为3.2 kPa和24.09 mL/min。3. 堆叠式电动液压泵驱动的偏心执行器可在8 s内实现240°的偏转角度,并在3 s内快速返回到原始位置。

Fecal incontinence (FI), which can arise from various pathogenic mechanisms, has attracted considerable attention worldwide. Despite its importance, the reproduction of the defecatory system to study the mechanisms of FI remains limited, largely because of social stigma and being considered inappropriate. Inspired by the rectum’s functionalities, we developed a soft robotic system that includes a power supply, pressure sensors, data acquisition systems, a flushing mechanism, stages, and a rectal

In summary, this work has pioneered the integration of an EHD robotic finger that incorporates a flexible rubber sheet embedded with soft EHD pumps. The model of this study links the electrical characteristics of the EHD pump (voltage input) with the geometric constraints of the robotic mechanism (deflection angle). The validity of this model has been empirically demonstrated. Our research findings primarily revolve around the manipulation of robotic arms and grasping mechanism. The synthesis of

The Marangoni effect has inspired the development of diverse applications such as robots, gel motors, and self-propelled droplets. A major challenge for the developed gel motors is the need for stators, which dampen the rotating velocity and reduce the motor lifetime due to frictional forces from the stators. Therefore, we developed a new type of gel without a stator to realize rotating motions, namely, a conical frustum gel. In this work, we initially studied the principle of the rotated gels d

Demand for variable focus lens is increasing these days due to the rapid development of smart mobile devices and drones. However, conventional mechanical systems for lenses are generally complex, cumbersome, and rigid (e.g., for motors and gears). This research proposes a simple and compact liquid lens controlled by an electro hydro dynamics (EHD) pump. In our study, we propose a do-it-yourself (DIY) method to fabricate the low-cost EHD lens. The EHD lens consists of a polypropylene (PP) sheet f