Magnetic Actuator Using Double Network Gel

Soft actuators have been studied actively by many research groups for practical application of artificial muscles. Among them, magnetic soft actuators have been expected to play an active role in the future for a miniaturized actuator. Since it needs no rigid mechanical parts inside and the energy could be transmitted via space, it would be easier to be downsized. Various kinds of magnetic soft actuators, such as rubbers and gel, could be used for this magnetic actuator. In this work, we aimed to improve the strength and the toughness of soft material. We focused on an extremely tough gel material called double network gel, which is composed of a heterogeneous structure of hard gel and soft gel. Double network gel has high strength due to the heterogeneous structure of a hard gel and a soft gel, which has been expected to be used in medical fields such as artificial cartilage due to its high elasticity. We measured the mechanical properties of the gel produced under each production condition and determined appropriate production conditions, Furthermore, the feasibility as a soft actuator was carried out using a thin gel film in which magnetic particles were mixed with a gel and confirming the deformation when a magnetic field was applied.