New hydrogel actuator allows soft robots to move over rough terrain

https://techxplore.com/news/2023-01-hydrogel-actuator-soft-robots-rough.html

"adaptive deformation... multi-dimensional off-road locomotion on natural terrains...  hydrogel diverse biomimetic forms due to self-deformation and soft-tissue-like... inspired by inchworms... photothermal hydrogel layer containing Fe3O4 nanoparticles grown on surface of isotropic poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAm) sponge, forming anisotropic bilayer structure via interfacial diffusion polymerization... could crawl on the 2D rough substrate or overstep complex sandy terrains"

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