Project description
Innovative materials provide artificial muscles with lifelike motion
The development of ‘artificial muscles’ is gaining ground thanks to technological advances in the fields of robotics and medicine. While actuator devices (converting energy into motion) are important in everyday life, they cannot provide soft, smooth, noiseless movement mimicking human motion and dexterity. The EU-funded E-MOTION project will develop innovative macroscopic-scale soft materials relying on switchable spin crossover molecules with remarkable actuating performances. Using a pioneering combination of materials engineering methods, the project will provide the switchable materials with electrical actuation, self-sensing and energy harvesting properties. Having a firm grasp of the relationship between their in-depth structure and mechanical property, E-MOTION will use the materials as the basis to develop original fibre-braided actuators as well as 3D-printed microfluidic actuator devices.
Objective
Actuator devices converting energy into motion are a fundamental part of everyday life. However, there is currently an unmet need in actuation technologies to provide soft, smooth, noiseless movement that can mimic human motion and dexterity. The development of such “artificial muscles” is burgeoning in both interest and importance as it would enable significant advances in areas as important as robotics, medicine and aeronautics. To enable a step-change in this field, E·MOTION proposes to develop unprecedented macroscopic-scale soft materials based on switchable spin crossover molecules with remarkable actuating performances. Using an innovative combination of material engineering methods these materials will be endowed with electrical actuation, self-sensing and energy harvesting properties, which will be a major breakthrough. More fundamentally, E·MOTION aims at understanding in-depth structure vs. mechanical property relationships in these switchable materials, which is essential for processing and optimizing their function. A multiscale experimental and theoretical approach will be used to assess how the molecular deformation and change in molecular connectivity under external stimuli affect macroscopic mechanical properties as well as the cycle life. Finally, E·MOTION will take a major shift on the side of actuator design by the development of original fibre-braided actuators as well as 3D-printed, microfluidic actuator devices made of these materials. These advanced actuator designs will then be thoroughly analysed for their ability to mimic complex muscular schemes. This ambitious, multidisciplinary project that brings together various aspects of molecular and polymer chemistry, condensed matter physics, mechanical engineering and advanced manufacturing, will enable a new departure in my career and a significant leap forward in the state-of-the-art that shall expedite the societal exploitation of these novel, molecule-based actuator technologies.
Fields of science
- natural sciencesphysical sciencescondensed matter physics
- natural scienceschemical sciencespolymer sciences
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringvehicle engineeringaerospace engineeringaeronautical engineering
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringrobotics
Programme(s)
Topic(s)
Funding Scheme
ERC-ADG - Advanced GrantHost institution
75794 Paris
France