Research led by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign produced a new temperature dependent 3D-printed polymer composite that can react to its environment. Credit: Shelly Zhang and Science Advances, volume 9, issue 47, November 22, 2023.
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers have developed a novel composite material that can alter its behavior depending on temperature. The material could play a critical role in developing next-generation autonomous robotics.
The research, published in Science Advances, utilized computer algorithms, two different polymers, and 3D printing to engineer a material that can expand and contract in response to changes in temperature.
“Creating a material or device that will respond in specific ways depending on its environment is very challenging to conceptualize using human intuition alone – there are just so many design possibilities out there,” said professor Shelly Zhang. “So, instead, we decided to work with a computer algorithm to help us determine the best combination of materials and geometry.”
The researchers utilized computer algorithms to conceptualize a composite of two polymers that can alter its behavior under various temperatures. “For this study, we developed a material that can behave like soft rubber in low temperatures and as a stiff plastic in high temperatures,” said Zhang.
“Our study demonstrates that it is possible to engineer a material with intelligent temperature sensing capabilities, and we envision this being very useful in robotics,” said Zhang. “For example, if a robot’s carrying capacity needs to change when the temperature changes, the material will ‘know’ to adapt its physical behavior to stop or perform a different task.”
“Our next goal is to use this technique to add another level of complexity to a material’s programmed or autonomous behavior, such as the ability to sense the velocity of some sort of impact from another object,” Zhang added. “This will be critical for robotics materials to know how to respond to various hazards in the field.”