Graphene-Based Light-Driven Soft Robot with Snake-Inspired Concertina and Serpentine Locomotion

As a kind of reptile that can move in a sophisticated environment by periodic changes in body shape, a snake's locomotion mode has inspired the design of several novel robots. Yet, most of those conventional robots are constructed by rigid components and powered by electricity. Herein, a novel snake-inspired soft robot by fabricating triple-layer reduced graphene oxide and polydopamine is reported. Such soft material is capable of bidirectional deformation while near-infrared (NIR) light is projected at different regions. It allows the robot to move continuously by periodically changing body shape on demand without external forces or torques. The designed robot can achieve two locomotion modes like a snake, i.e., concertina locomotion and serpentine locomotion modes, corresponding to external NIR light stimulation. It paves a new way for the fabrication and control of soft robot which can be applied to medical treatment, rescue operation, and so on in the future.