‘Kinetic electronics’ make self-connecting circuits
Eventual goal is electronic devices that can reconfigure and even repair themselves The post ‘Kinetic electronics’ make self-connecting circuits appeared first on Physics World .
Researchers at Kyushu University in Japan have created a flexible electronic circuit capable of self-connecting to and disconnecting from another circuit. This development represents an important step towards electronic devices that can self-reconfigure and potentially repair themselves. The prototype technology could find applications in wearable sensors, soft robotics, and medical devices.
According to Fumihiro Sassa, the study leader from Kyushu University's Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, most electronic devices today are "non-modular" and designed for specific tasks. They are not easily adaptable to new tasks or environments and can cease functioning if a single component in their electronic circuitry fails.
This dependency on human operators or external robotic systems for repairs poses a significant limitation, particularly in small machines, space equipment, and devices requiring specialized handling.
To address this issue, Sassa and his team developed "kinetic electronics" modules. These modules consist of electronic circuits and actuators that deform when an electrical current is applied, allowing them to mechanically and electrically connect with other modules. The connection process, or "docking," enables individual modules to deform others when supplied with power through the connecting point.
As a result, the circuits can reorganize their hardware structure, a function typically used in mechanical systems but now applied to electronic devices.
The researchers created their electrothermal bimorph actuators from polypropylene and polyimide films with heater electrodes and electrical circuits formed top-down. Joule heating causes selected actuator sections to bend due to the differing expansion rates of the polymers. Prescribed sequences of these motions facilitate docking and undocking, with passive mechanical engagement maintaining the connection without continuous power supply. Undocking necessitates a separate actuation sequence.
Currently, the team is focusing on miniaturizing their system and exploring more intelligent control methods. In the present study, published in npj Flexible Electronics, they demonstrated the docking mechanism using a small number of millimeter-scale independent sensors and actuators assembled on the circuit. Their motion was controlled by an external microcontroller in a sequential manner.
The researchers are now working on photolithographic processes to further decrease the size of these components, already fabricating actuators smaller than 100 μm.
In a similar manner to large-scale integration in conventional electronics, miniaturizing these components will enable the integration of a large number of sensing and actuation elements. This capability will allow the electronic circuit to form and change complex mechanical structures and functions. Additionally, the team is interested in distributed control, where many elements follow simple local control rules, potentially leading to advanced self-reconfiguration and self-organization.
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