3D Printing of Smart Materials and Actuators

Abstract

Smart actuators can sense external stimuli and produce controllable mechanical responses, and convert these energies into mechanical energy. They have great applications in the aerospace, electronic circuits, medical and other fields. As a new manufacturing method, the combination of 3D printing and smart actuators had developed rapidly in recent years. In this paper, we summarize the research progress of 3D printing smart actuators and its materials. The smart driver includes water responsive driver, pH responsive driver, temperature responsive driver, light responsive driver and magnetic field responsive driver. The smart driver materials can be divided into shape memory materials, piezoelectric materials, responsive smart hydrogels and electroactive polymers. In addition, their stimulative effect and driving mechanism have been studied emphatically.