Leaf vein-inspired photothermal actuator combines rapid movement with impressive load-carrying capacity and stability

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1074235

"superstructure liquid metal/low expansion polyimide/polydimethylsiloxane actuator,... overcomes trade-off between response speed/ load-carrying capacity... laser etching intricate graphene trenches within LM@PI films, then encapsulated with PDMS producing programmable actuator... created photo-activated robotic dog capable of crawling, jumping, swimming, standing, as well as single-pole triple-throw switches/ high-speed oscillators... wide-ranging applications in robotics and intelligent systems"