Light-Driven Liquid\nCrystal Elastomer Actuators Based\non Surface Plasmon Resonance for Soft Robots

Caterpillars possess a combination of structural flexibility\nand\nthe ability to transition between peristaltic crawling and elastic\njumping for swift movement, presenting an opportunity for the development\nand examination of versatile and highly environmentally adaptable\nbionic robots. Here, we report a photothermally responsive untethered\ncaterpillar-inspired Janus-type soft robot, featuring a driver layer\ncomposed of Ag nanowires (AgNWs) with a photothermal effect enhanced\nby localized surface plasmon resonance incorporated into a liquid\ncrystal elastomer (LCE). By integration of this LCE active layer with\na polyimide passive layer, the strain mismatch and bending moment\nof the robot are enhanced, enabling rapid, substantial, and reversible\ndeformations. The interlayer mismatch assembly strategy and the central\nsymmetry of the Janus structure enable the Janus-type soft robot to\nperform various locomotion maneuvers, including continuous crawling\nat a rate of 1.5 BL/min, tumbling at a speed of 1.875 BL/min, and\ninstantaneous jumping at a speed of 351 BL/min. The robot demonstrates\nadaptive locomotion capabilities in challenging environments with\ndiverse frictions and obstacles, such as slopes, stones, gravel, and\ngrass. This showcases the potential of this approach for customized\npath planning and autonomous reconnaissance expeditions in complex\nsettings. Furthermore, a three-dimensional AgNW network resembling\na spiderweb was fabricated using modulated electrospinning technology,\nachieving a high photothermal conversion efficiency of 36.42% at a\nvery low surface noble metal ion content (0.035 mg/cm<sup>2</sup>).