Artificial Sensitive Plant

There has been enormous progress in micro/nano fabrication techniques, and numerous applications have been invented ranging from IC circuits to different kinds of sensors. However, it is still challenging to make conventional actuators in micro scale due to difficulties in fabricating complex 3D micro structure and scaling effect as we go down to micro world. Therefore, it is necessary to come up with a novel design of micro-actuator, and Nature has already suggested us such an exquisite design through various rapid plant movements.

    Though rare, plants such as Mimosa and Venus flytrap fold their leaves within a fraction of a second for their defense or nutrition without any mechanical component or muscle. Instead, it is recently found out that upon external stimulation they actively transport their body fluid through elastic cells to utilize elastic instability for rapid movement. Inspired by this, we want to design a novel micro-actuator in a hydro-elasto-dynamic approach. As a fabrication technique, we use PuSL(Projection micro stereolithography) which enables us to fabricate elastic complex 3D structure in micro scale.

Micro-scale elastic structure extending by hydraulic pressure. (scale bar:500um)