Researchers at Aalto University have succeeded in using light to move artificial muscles integrated into the wings of a lace butterfly. In the groundbreaking study, light – or more precisely, infrared laser – was used to control polymer actuators. By modifying the polymers, they could be made into twist-coiled filaments, i.e. artificial muscles that respond to light and the heat it generates. Controlled by light, the artificial muscles eventually make the butterfly’s wings flap.
Doctoral researcher Zahra Madani, lead author of a study published in the July issue of Advanced Materials, says that artificial muscles can bend and move in multiple directions with incredible speed and precision when controlled by light. And, unlike traditional methods, the direction and movement of these artificial muscles are not dependent on the material’s natural properties but can be programmed and controlled externally through light.
Madani works as part of a team from the Multifunctional Materials Design research group at Aalto, led by Prof. Jaana Vapaavuori, specialising in the design of functional materials. Vapaavuori also says she was surprised by the variety of movement patterns that could be created simply by changing the material and the light.
The team, which brings together material scientists, physicists, and textile designers, is the reason why the artificial muscles were made to move with light in the first place, according to Madani: for example, it was the designers who came up with the idea of making the polymer yarns in the form of spring.
About Aalto University
AALTO University is a multidisciplinary university in the fields of Science and Technology, Economics, Architecture, and Art and Design. It has 409 faculty members and a student body of 20,000, 70% of which are students in Science and Technology. AALTO University was founded in 2010 by merging three Finnish universities: The Helsinki School of Economics, The University of Art and Design Helsinki, and Helsinki University of Technology. The three schools are all leading institutions in their respective fields and in their own right. Aalto University is a multidisciplinary community where Science and Art meet Technology and Business. The university is committed to identifying and solving grand societal challenges and building an innovative future.
Researchers at Aalto University have succeeded in using light to move artificial muscles integrated into the wings of a lace butterfly. In the groundbreaking study, light – or more precisely, infrared laser – was used to control polymer actuators. By modifying the polymers, they could be made into twist-coiled filaments, i.e. artificial muscles that respond […]
