Intelligent chemical actuators and scientific principle of chemical mechanics

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16H04306
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Intelligent mechanics/Mechanical systems
• Research Institution: Shibaura Institute of Technology
• Principal Investigator: Maeda Shingo 芝浦工業大学, 工学部, 准教授 (40424808)
• Research Collaborator: Yamanishi Yoko , 教授
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: ゲル / 自律駆動ゲル / ゲルポンプ / ソフトアクチュエータ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We have been promoting research on a coupled system of the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction, known as a oscillatory chemical reaction, and stimulus-responsive polymer gel. In this system, the gel swells and de-swells autonomously under certain conditions. The purpose of our research is to improve the mechanical performance of the gel and to make it intelligent. We found that we were able to obtain mechanical work from the gel by applying a constant tension to the gel and that we could control the dynamics of the gel by applying external forces to the gel.

Free Research Field

ソフトマテリアル，ソフトロボティクス

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

このゲルは，物質濃度が振動するBZ反応の化学エネルギーのみを利用し，力学エネルギーに直接変換できる．ゲルを基質溶液に浸漬するとBZ反応が開始し，ゲルの体積振動が誘起される．本研究ではこのゲルの知能化とアクチュエータ化を目的とする．我々が提案してきたシステムの特徴は，従来の金属やシリコンなどでできた電子回路や半導体を有する計算機や機械リンク系のロボットとは大きく異なり，物理化学的な反応や現象によって情報処理系が構築できる．したがって，電気を一切必要としない新原理に基づくデバイスとなり新しい機械の創造へ繋がる．