A zwitterionic poly(ionic liquid) hydrogel with super-stretchability, self-healing ability, and high conductivity at −20 °C was fabricated and used for ionic skin for a soft robotic gripper.
Northwestern University
ORCID: 0000-0002-9763-3570Publishes on Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials, Photoreceptor and optogenetics research, Conducting polymers and applications. 18 papers and 806 citations.
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A zwitterionic poly(ionic liquid) hydrogel with super-stretchability, self-healing ability, and high conductivity at −20 °C was fabricated and used for ionic skin for a soft robotic gripper.
Bioengineering approaches that combine living cellular components with three-dimensional scaffolds to generate motion can be used to develop a new generation of miniature robots. Integrating on-board electronics and remote control in these biological machines will enable various applications across engineering, biology, and medicine. Here, we present hybrid bioelectronic robots equipped with battery-free and microinorganic light-emitting diodes for wireless control and real-time communication. Centimeter-scale walking robots were computationally designed and optimized to host on-board optoelectronics with independent stimulation of multiple optogenetic skeletal muscles, achieving remote command of walking, turning, plowing, and transport functions both at individual and collective levels. This work paves the way toward a class of biohybrid machines able to combine biological actuation and sensing with on-board computing.
Monitoring homeostasis is an essential aspect of obtaining pathophysiological insights for treating patients. Accurate, timely assessments of homeostatic dysregulation in deep tissues typically require expensive imaging techniques or invasive biopsies. We introduce a bioresorbable shape-adaptive materials structure that enables real-time monitoring of deep-tissue homeostasis using conventional ultrasound instruments. Collections of small bioresorbable metal disks distributed within thin, pH-responsive hydrogels, deployed by surgical implantation or syringe injection, allow ultrasound-based measurements of spatiotemporal changes in pH for early assessments of anastomotic leaks after gastrointestinal surgeries, and their bioresorption after a recovery period eliminates the need for surgical extraction. Demonstrations in small and large animal models illustrate capabilities in monitoring leakage from the small intestine, the stomach, and the pancreas.