Magnetic Nanoparticle Chains Offer New Technique for Controlling Soft Robots
December 21, 2015 | North Carolina State UniversityEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
"The key here is that the nanoparticles in the chains and their magnetic dipoles are arranged head-to-tail, with the positive end of one magnetic nanoparticle lined up with the negative end of the next, all the way down the line," says Joe Tracy, an associate professor of materials science and engineering at NC State and corresponding author of the paper. "At issue is something called magnetic anisotropy, which is caused by assembling the nanoparticles into chains. When a magnetic field is applied in any direction, the chain re-orients itself to become as parallel as possible to the magnetic field, limited only by the constraints of gravity and the elasticity of the polymer."
The researchers believe this technique may be especially attractive for some biomedical applications, as compared to soft robotics that rely on electricity or light for control. "Electrical control can raise safety issues for some medical applications," says Mishra. "And both electrical and light signals pose challenges in terms of communicating those signals to devices embedded in the body. Magnetic fields, on the other hand, pass through easily - and pose fewer safety challenges."
This technique uses inexpensive and widely available materials, and the process is relatively simple and easy to execute, the researchers say.
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