Polymer-based turgor pressure actuator, and driving method and use thereof
AssigneeSeoul National University R&Db Foundation
InventorsJeong-Yun Sun, Ho-Young Kim, Hyeonuk Na, Yong-Woo Kang, Chang Seo Park, Sohyun Jung
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Abstract
The present disclosure provides a polymer-based turgor actuator including a polymer network member (hereinafter, polymer member) capable of absorbing liquid and swelling, and a permeable confinement member configured to physically constrain the polymer member by confining it in an internal accommodation space and having liquid permeability, wherein an acceptable volume of the internal accommodation space of the permeable confinement member is smaller than the maximum swelling volume of the polymer member in the absence of the permeable confinement member.
Claims14
A polymer-based turgor actuator comprising:
- a polymer network member capable of absorbing liquid and tending to swell due to an osmotic pressure difference with an external liquid;
- and
- a permeable confinement member accommodating the polymer network member therein, the permeable confinement member being configured to allow permeation of the liquid while mechanically restricting volumetric expansion of the polymer network member,
- wherein the permeable confinement member defines an internal accommodation space having an acceptable volume smaller than a maximum swelling volume of the polymer network member in a free-swelling state, such that swelling of the polymer network member is suppressed and a turgor pressure is maintained in the polymer network member to provide a mechanical output.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.