Leaf vein-inspired photothermal actuator balances speed, strength and stability

A recent breakthrough in photothermal actuator design has been achieved by a research team from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, led by Prof. Tian Xingyou and Prof. Zhang Xian. The team developed a novel superstructure liquid metal/low expansion polyimide/polydimethylsiloxane (LM@PI/PDMS) actuator, which combines rapid movement with impressive load-carrying capacity—an achievement that has eluded previous actuator designs.