We developed a feedback-controlled self-clearing method to limit the power dissipated in the actuator. As a result, the soft artificial muscle—Dielectric Elastomer Actuator (DEA)—can autonomously clear damage and continue functioning.
In cases of severe damage where self-clearing becomes ineffective, laser ablation can be used to isolate the affected region—preserving and maximizing the functionality of the remaining undamaged area.
The robotic unit continues to exhibit strong flapping motions even after being pierced ten times and having a significant portion of its wing removed.
The robotic unit shows sufficient lift force and power density after severe damage, exhibiting the effectiveness of the proposed recovery method
Our sub-gram aerial robot, SoftFly, can maintain stable hovering flight even after a needle is pierced into its artificial muscle mid-experiment—demonstrating the effectiveness of the self-clearing mechanism.
Even with ten needles inside the actuator and a large portion of the wing cut, SoftFly can still hover stably for over ten seconds—showcasing the robustness of the DEA and the efficacy of the proposed muscle protection strategy.
