Inspired by a knitting principle, domestic researchers have developed a fabric technology that changes shape as desired when it receives current or heat.
SNU College of Engineering (Dean Lee Kun-woo) stated on 10^th that SNU Professor Ahn Sung-Hoon’s research team (SNU Ph.D. Candidate Han Min-Woo) has developed a moving fabric that can be used for exosuits, soft robots, and etc. using knitting patterns.
The fabric actuator developed here can be deformed to a desired shape according to the temperature. The researchers used smart wires wrapped which are fiber-coated shape memory alloys. It can be driven only by the temperature change without current change. In addition, current can be used to move more precisely, independently of the external environment.
In addition, it is possible to produce complex shapes and various deformations by combining knitting patterns using wires. This is because the specific pattern knitted by smart wire and the ordinary fiber shows specific directionality according to the knitting pattern. Bending, twisting, and linear motion as well as volume changes of the three-dimensional structure.
The researchers used fabric actuators to simulate the blooming behavior in nature. Using the fabric actuator, a flexible soft robot, such as a fish robot, can be driven without a motor. Unlike 3D printing or mold method (shape making method using plastic cast), which is a conventional method of producing soft robot, it is advantageous in mass production by simple manufacturing method.
Professor Ahn said, "It is meaningful that we have presented a new driving method in the field of soft robot research with the developed fabric actuator and pattern research. In the future, it will be possible to apply to soft robots, morphing structures, wearable devices."
The results of the study were also received world-wide attention and were featured in the cover paper of April 4, ‘Advanced Materials', an authority on materials research.

[Reference]

1. The Article Title: Blooming Knit Flowers: Loop-Linked Soft Morphing Structures for Soft Robotics
2. Authors: Han Min-Woo (1^st Author, SNU Ph.D. Candidate), Ahn Sung-Hoon (Corresponding Author, SNU Professor)
3. Links
   - Cover Page: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.201770085/full

- Article: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.201606580/full

4. A Link to English News: http://www.advancedsciencenews.com/blooming-knit-flowers
5. A Link to Fabric Actuator and a Flower Video:
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6. Links to Other Related Research Videos
   - Modular Robots: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bURraMDCBI

- Origami Actuators: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsYqqSWfgSw
- Turtle & Stingray Robots: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RjlUn4q7A0