Graphene-based actuator swarm enables programmable deformation

Actuators that can convert various environmental stimuli to mechanical work have revealed great potential for developing smart devices such as soft robots, micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), and automatic lab-on-a-chip systems. Generally, bilayer structures are widely used for design and fabrication of stimuli responsive actuators. In the past decade, to pursue fast and large-scale deformation, great efforts have been devoted to the development of novel smart materials. To date, various stimuli response materials/structures have been successfully developed and employed for bimorph actuators.