With the rapid development of robotics technology, various robots are entering our daily lives and taking on increasingly diverse tasks. However, current robots are constrained by conventional rigid electronic hardware frameworks, facing significant technical challenges in achieving autonomous intelligence.
Traditional robots are constructed based on a framework of hard electronic components. Due to the rigid nature of the electronic components, they cannot be integrated onto the curved surfaces of robotic bodies. The absence of these critical components results in significant limitations for robots, such as the lack of active sensing capabilities, insufficient basis for autonomous decision-making, and the inability to perform precision manipulation tasks.
Fortunately, the emergence of flexible electronics technology has revolutionized robotic component devices, breaking through the current bottleneck in device integration for robots. These stretchable or bendable electronic devices are primarily fabricated on flexible substrates using advanced manufacturing techniques such as 3D printing, micro/nano fabrication, screen printing, and inkjet printing. They can be broadly categorized into three types: flexible sensors, flexible circuits, and flexible actuators. Each category of flexible electronic devices demonstrates significant application potential in robotics. However, how exactly do these advanced devices function within robotic systems, and what stage has research on flexible devices reached at present?
To answer this question, the research team lead by Professor Xiaodong Chen from Nanyang Technological University collaborated with Professor Jia Zhang's research team and Professor Dianpeng Qi's research team from Harbin Institute of Technology to conduct a systematic review on the current status and applications of flexible electronic devices in robotic systems. Their research published in SmartBot highlights their comprehensive analysis of recent advances in flexible electronics and their applications in robotics.
They first classified flexible devices based on their functional capabilities, and then systematically reviewed research progress in the respective branches of flexible sensors, flexible circuits, and flexible actuators. Furthermore, they conducted a comprehensive analysis of the research on the methods for achieving conformal integration of flexible devices, which is previously less-discussed but extremely important subfield in the field of flexible sensor components. "These advances enable seamless incorporation of conformable, high-density electronic components into robotic systems, representing a transformative leap in intelligent robotics development," they reported.
Taking the robots as intelligent autonomous entities, they comprehensively elucidated the revolutionary breakthroughs brought about by flexible devices in the autonomous intelligent processes of robots, including the command reception, comprehension of the command's meaning, and action execution. They discovered that flexible devices have revolutionized the interaction methods of robots, laid the foundation for the autonomous decision-making of robots, and improved the operational accuracy of robots. "In all processes," they concluded, "the application of flexible sensors leads to great advancements, thereby profoundly transforming the entire working process of robots."
These comprehensive analyses and summaries fully demonstrate the intelligent revolution in robotics driven by flexible electronics technology. Researchers hope that such systematic reviews and analyses will draw greater attention to the immense application potential of flexible devices in robotics, and inspire innovative applications of flexible devices to overcome current technical challenges in the field of robotics.
The authors are hopeful and excited about the future of research in this field. "The continuous investigation into new application frontiers will promote deeper integration between flexible electronics and robotic systems, accelerating the development of truly intelligent robotic platforms," they stated.
