Micro Magnetic Patterning on Extremely Tough Magnetic Gel Actuator

This paper reports a fine magnetic patterning process for a gel sheet. Recently, tough gel materials have been developed which are known as double-network gels (DN-gels). Authors employed an extremely tough DN-gel for soft actuators by dispersing fine magnetic particles. The proposed material showed not only high strength and large elongation but also high anti-cutting strength. Authors also proposed a new process for a magnetic micro patterning process for this material using local heating by laser. The resolution was finer than reported conventional magnetic soft actuators. We performed tensile tests of the gel material and showed mechanical properties. We also tried to scan laser on a magnetic gel sheet for micro patterning of the magnetic anisotropy. Finally, we demonstrate crawling motion of a magnetic patterned gel sheet.