Graphene-based actuator swarm enables programmable deformation

Graphene-based actuators featuring fast and reversible deformation under various external stimuli are promising for soft robotics and MEMS. However, these bimorph actuators are incapable of complex and programmable 3D deformation, which limits their practical application. Inspired from the collective coupling and coordination of living cells, researchers from Jilin University and Tsinghua University proposed a moisture-responsive graphene actuator swarm that has programmable shape-changing capability by patterning the SU-8 inert layer underneath.