Electromechanical coupling of botanic cells: Theory and applications
Journal
Handbook of Mechanics of Materials
Pages
2291-2352
Date Issued
2019
Author(s)
Abstract
In this chapter, an onion actuator and tactile sensor are proposed. Actuators functionalize dynamics of mechanisms or systems via an energy conversion, such as the transformation of electricity into mechanical deformation. Most motor-driven actuators and engineered artificial muscles are very capable of either bending or contraction/elongation. However, there are currently no actuators that can accomplish these actions simultaneously. This chapter introduces the development of such a device. The simple latticed microstructure of onion epidermal cells allowed itself to simultaneously stretch and bend. By modulating the magnitude of the voltage, the actuator made of onion epidermal cells deflects in opposing directions while either contracting or elongating. This chapter also presents and demonstrates the development of flexible tactile sensor utilizing the microstructures of onion epidermal cells, which replace the intermediate dielectric layer in a typical parallel-plate capacitive sensor. The onion epidermal cells can effectively reduce the complexity of the sensor structure and thus simplify the device fabrication process. The single layer of the onion epidermal cells is robust for high tactile sensitivity, mechanical flexibility, and optical transmittance with potentially low-cost sensor manufacturing in a large area. A new type of actuator and tactile sensor can be produced from a never-used material - onion epidermal cell - in the hope of initiating a new field of fusing plant and mechatronics for the benefits of inducing large deflection measurements in both transverse and longitudinal directions in a ubiquitous and low-cost manner. And the proposed sensor array will be applied in robotic electronic skin and biomedical devices in the future. ? Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2019.
SDGs
Type
book part