Light-triggered Marangoni Robot with Programmable Locomotion

Liang Yuan; Chen Zeng; Bo-wen Jin; Xiao Meng; Chun-hong Ye

doi:10.11777/j.issn1000-3304.2026.26103

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Light-triggered Marangoni Robot with Programmable Locomotion

更新时间：2026-07-06

- Light-triggered Marangoni Robot with Programmable Locomotion
- Acta Polymerica Sinica Pages: 1-14(2026)
- 作者机构：
  
  1.上海科技大学，物质科学与技术学院上海，201210
  2.上海科技大学，先进医用材料与医疗器械国家重点实验室，上海 201210
  1.上海临床医学中心上海 201210
- 作者简介：
  
  Chun-hong Ye, E-mail: yechh@shanghaitech.edu.cn
- 基金信息：
- DOI：10.11777/j.issn1000-3304.2026.26103
  CLC：
- CSTR：32057.14.GFZXB.2026.7621
- Received：16 April 2026，
  
  Accepted：23 May 2026，
  
  Online First：06 July 2026，
- 稿件说明：
移动端阅览
袁亮, 曾程, 金博闻, 孟晓, 叶春洪. 光诱导运动可控的马兰戈尼微机器人. 高分子学报, doi: 10.11777/j.issn1000-3304.2026.26103.

Yuan, L.; Zeng, C.; Jin, B. W.; Meng, X.; Ye, C. H. Light-triggered marangoni robot with programmable locomotion. Acta Polymerica Sinica (in Chinese), doi: 10.11777/j.issn1000-3304.2026.26103.
袁亮, 曾程, 金博闻, 孟晓, 叶春洪. 光诱导运动可控的马兰戈尼微机器人. 高分子学报, doi: 10.11777/j.issn1000-3304.2026.26103. DOI： CSTR： 32057.14.GFZXB.2026.7621.

Yuan, L.; Zeng, C.; Jin, B. W.; Meng, X.; Ye, C. H. Light-triggered marangoni robot with programmable locomotion. Acta Polymerica Sinica (in Chinese), doi: 10.11777/j.issn1000-3304.2026.26103. DOI： CSTR： 32057.14.GFZXB.2026.7621.

摘要

水面行走是自然界中一种独特的运动形式，然而，构建速度和方向可控的水生软体机器人仍然极具挑战.本研究以疏水性液晶薄膜作为仿生机器人主体，结合响应性液晶弹性体(LCE)作为驱动臂，通过在LCE中负载光热转化剂，在其表面吸附樟脑作为马兰戈尼效应的驱动燃料，构建了一种光驱动的水面行走仿生微机器人. 在光驱动下，LCE驱动臂在展开与折叠状态之间切换，从而改变其与液面的距离，进而引起自升华燃料分子在水面的吸附变化. 当驱动臂展开靠近液面，吸附增加，区域性表面张力降低，产生马兰戈尼效应，推动微机器人向前运动. 相应地，LCE恢复折叠状态，远离水面，驱动燃料分子在水面吸附减少，表面张力梯度减弱，运动停止，实现了光诱导的启停功能. 进一步，基于多折叠臂微机器人结构设计，实现了光诱导下运动方向和速度的多自由度可控驱动行为. 本研究克服了传统马兰戈尼驱动机器人在运动启停和方向调控方面可控性低的问题，为设计复杂水环境中具有时空可控驱动行为的无绳软机器人提供了新策略.

Abstract

Inspired from nature

developing actuator that can walk on water is attractive

but it still remains challenging to realize controllable motion on the water surface with tunable velocity and direction. Herein

a controllable water-surface walking robot was developed by using a hydrophobic liquid-crystal thin-film phase as the main body

integrating responsive liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) as actuator arms

incorporating Disperse Red dye into the LCE as a photothermal conversion agent

and adsorbing camphor on the surface as the solute for Marangoni propulsion. In this design

the foldable LCE actuator arm served as the driving unit. Under 520 nm light irradiation

the LCE unfolded

enabling the controlled release of camphor. The resulting Marangoni effect propelled the robot to move unidirectionally on the water surface. By tuning the light intensity

the evaporation rate of camphor could be regulated

thereby allowing control over the Marangoni-driven locomotion speed. When the light was switched off

the LCE returned to its folded state and the motion stops. Furthermore

by arranging multiple foldable LCE actuator arms in different directions on a single robot and precisely controlling their folding/unfolding states with light

both the speed and direction of locomotion could be modulated. This study therefore provides a new strategy for untethered soft robots capable of precise spatiotemporal actuation and adaptation to complex aquatic environments.

关键词

Keywords

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