Many animals possess adhesive pads on their feet, which are able tO attach to various substrates while controlling adhesive forces during locomotion. This review article studies the morphology of adhesive devices in a...Many animals possess adhesive pads on their feet, which are able tO attach to various substrates while controlling adhesive forces during locomotion. This review article studies the morphology of adhesive devices in animals, and the physical mechanisms of wet adhesion and dry adhesion. The adhesive pads are either ＇smooth＇ or densely covered with special adhesive setae. Smooth pads adhere by wet adhesion, which is facilitated by fluid secreted from the pads, whereas hairy pads can adhere by dry adhesion or wet adhesion. Contact area, distance between pad and substrate, viscosity and surface tension of the liquid filling the gap between pad and substrate are the most important factors which determine the wet adhesion. Dry adhesion was found only in hairy pads, which occurs in geckos and spiders. It was demonstrated that van der Waals interaction is the dominant adhesive force in geckos＇ adhesion. The bio-inspired applications derived from adhesive pads are also reviewed.展开更多
Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite （IPMC） is a new electro-active polymer, which has the advantages of light weight, flexibility, and large stroke with low driving voltage. Because of these features, IPMC can be applied ...Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite （IPMC） is a new electro-active polymer, which has the advantages of light weight, flexibility, and large stroke with low driving voltage. Because of these features, IPMC can be applied to bionic robotic actuators, artificial muscles, as well as dynamic sensors. However, IPMC has the major drawback of low generative blocking force. In this paper, in order to enhance the blocking force, the Nation membranes with thickness of 0.22 mm, 0.32 mm, 0.42 mm, 0.64 mm and 0.8 mm were prepared by casting from liquid solution. By employing these Nation membranes, IPMCs with varying thickness were fabricated by electroless plating. The elastic modulus of the casted Nation membranes were obtained by a nano-indenter, and the current, the displacement and the blocking force were respectively measured by the apparatus for actuation test. Finally, the effects of the thickness on the performance of IPMC were analyzed with an electromechanical model. Experimental study and theory analysis indicate that as the thickness increases, the elastic modulus of Nation membrane and the blocking force of IPMC increase, however, the current and the displacement decrease.展开更多
Animals have evolved a variety of behavior patterns to adapt to the environment. Motion-capture technology is utilized to quantify and characterize locomotor behaviors to reveal the mechanisms of animal motion. In the...Animals have evolved a variety of behavior patterns to adapt to the environment. Motion-capture technology is utilized to quantify and characterize locomotor behaviors to reveal the mechanisms of animal motion. In the capture of flexible, small animals with complex locomotor behaviors, the markers interfere with each other easily, and the motion forms(bending, twisting) of the moving parts are obviously different;thus, it is a great challenge to realize accurate quantitative characterization of complex locomotor behaviors. The correlation between the marker properties, including the size and space length, and the precision of the system are revealed in this paper, and the effects of diverse marker shapes on the capturing accuracy of the captured objects in different motion forms were tested. Results showed that the precision of system is significantly improved when the ratio of the space length to the diameter of the markers is larger than four;for the capture of the spatial twisting motion of the flexible object, the hexagon markers had the lowest spatial lost-marker rate relative to the circle, triangle, and square. Customized markers were used to capture the locomotor behavior of the gecko-inspired robot(rigid connection) and the gecko(flexible connection). The results showed that this marking technology can achieve high accuracy of motion capture for geckos(the average deviation was approximately 0.32 mm, and the average deviation’s variation rate was approximately 0.96%). In this paper, the marking technology for the motion capture of flexible, small animals with complex motion is proposed;it can effectively improve the system precision as well as the capture accuracy, and realize the quantitative characterization of the complex motion of flexible, small objects. It provides a reliable technical means to deeply study the evolution of the motion function of small animals and advance systematic research of motion-capture technology.展开更多
In this work,the size-dependent buckling of functionally graded(FG)Bernoulli-Euler beams under non-uniform temperature is analyzed based on the stressdriven nonlocal elasticity and nonlocal heat conduction.By utilizin...In this work,the size-dependent buckling of functionally graded(FG)Bernoulli-Euler beams under non-uniform temperature is analyzed based on the stressdriven nonlocal elasticity and nonlocal heat conduction.By utilizing the variational principle of virtual work,the governing equations and the associated standard boundary conditions are systematically extracted,and the thermal effect,equivalent to the induced thermal load,is explicitly assessed by using the nonlocal heat conduction law.The stressdriven constitutive integral equation is equivalently transformed into a differential form with two non-standard constitutive boundary conditions.By employing the eigenvalue method,the critical buckling loads of the beams with different boundary conditions are obtained.The numerically predicted results reveal that the growth of the nonlocal parameter leads to a consistently strengthening effect on the dimensionless critical buckling loads for all boundary cases.Additionally,the effects of the influential factors pertinent to the nonlocal heat conduction on the buckling behavior are carefully examined.展开更多
Geckos can move quickly in various environments by efficiently controlling their complex adhesive toe pads.The locomotion behaviours observed in the attachment-detachment(A-D)cycle of their toe pads in response to cha...Geckos can move quickly in various environments by efficiently controlling their complex adhesive toe pads.The locomotion behaviours observed in the attachment-detachment(A-D)cycle of their toe pads in response to changes in their environment should be studied to understand the adaptive behavioural characteristics of such toe pads.The lack of systematic research on the entire A-D cycle,including the release,swing,contact,and adhesion stages,limits the comprehension of the adhesive locomotion mechanism.The A-D cycle of Gekko gecko that facilitates the foot locomotion on inclined and vertical surfaces was investigated to clarify the locomotion behaviours in different stages.Results show that the change trends of foot locomotor angles(yaw and pitch)during the entire A-D cycle remain unchanged in response to various substrates.The bending angles(fore 41°;hind 51°)and contact time percentages(fore 7.42%;hind 7.44%)in the contact stage as well as the forefoot angle ranges(yaw:163.09°;pitch:308.68°)in the A-D cycle also remain constant across all substrates.These invariant foot locomotion behaviours during the swing and contact stages suggest that the foot behaviours are weakly related to the forces acting on the foot,which change according to the environment.Furthermore,the forefoot and hindfoot have different anatomical structure and functional demands,thus,the angle range of forefoot locomotion is larger than that of hindfoot locomotion,and the pitch angle change trend of the forefoot is opposite to that of the hindfoot.The diverse and complex locomotion control of the adhesive toe pads for various environments is reduced by the consistent behaviours in the gecko’s A-D cycle,such as the constant postures in the swing and contact stages.This study provides insight into the adhesive locomotion mechanism of geckos and can facilitate further research on the effective design and control of adhesion robots.展开更多
Lizards use the synergy between their feet and tail to climb on slopes and vertical terrains.They use their soft adhesive feet with millions of small hairs to increase their contact area with the terrain surface and p...Lizards use the synergy between their feet and tail to climb on slopes and vertical terrains.They use their soft adhesive feet with millions of small hairs to increase their contact area with the terrain surface and press their tails against the terrain to actively maintain stability during climbing.Inspired by this,we propose a bio-inspired climbing robot based on a new approach wherein the synergy between soft feet and an active tail with a soft adhesive tip allows the robot to climb stably on even and uneven terrains at different slope angles.We evaluate and compare the climbing performance of the robot on three different terrains(hard,soft,and fluffy)at different slope angles.Various robot configurations are employed,including those with standard hard feet and soft feet in combination with an active tail-with and without a soft tip.The experimental results show that the robot having soft feet and a tail with the soft tip achieves the best climbing performance on all terrains,with maximum climbing slopes of 40°,45°,and 50°on fluffy,soft,and hard terrains,respectively.Its payload capacity depends on the type of terrain and the inclination angle.Moreover,our robot performs multi-terrain transitions(climbing from horizontal to sloped terrains)on three different terrains of a slope.This approach can allow a climbing robot to walk and climb on different terrains,extending the operational range of the robot to areas with complex terrains and slopes,e.g.,in inspection,exploration,and construction.展开更多
Flexible attachment actuators are popular in a wide range of applications,owing to their flexibility and highly reliable attachment.However,their reversible adhesion performance depends on the actual effective contact...Flexible attachment actuators are popular in a wide range of applications,owing to their flexibility and highly reliable attachment.However,their reversible adhesion performance depends on the actual effective contact area and peel angle during operation.Therefore,a good actuator must ensure a uniform and reliable pre-pressure load on an adhesive surface,to increase the effective contact area of the attached surface,thereby maximizing adhesion.This study was inspired by fusion bionics for designing a hierarchical attachment structure with vacuum-adsorption and dry-adhesion mechanisms.The designed structure used the normal force under the negative pressure of a suction cup as a stable source of a pre-pressure load.By optimizing the rigid and flexible structural layers of the attachment structure,a load was applied uniformly to the adhesion area;thus,reliable attachment was achieved by self-preloading.The structure achieved detachment by exploiting the large deformation of a pneumatic structure under a positive pressure.The hierarchical attachment structure achieved up to 85%of the optimal performance of the adhesive surface.Owing to its self-preloading and reliable attachment characteristics,the designed structure can be used as an attachment unit in various complex scenarios,such as small,lightweight climbing platforms and the transport of objects in long,narrow pipelines.展开更多
Many animals exhibit strong mechanical interlocking in order to achieve efficient climbing against rough surfaces by using their claws in the pads. To maximally use the mechanical interlocking, an innovative robot whi...Many animals exhibit strong mechanical interlocking in order to achieve efficient climbing against rough surfaces by using their claws in the pads. To maximally use the mechanical interlocking, an innovative robot which utilizes flexible pad with claws is designed. The mechanism for attachments of the claws against rough surfaces is further revealed according to the theoretical analysis. Moreover, the effects of the key parameters on the performances of the climbing robots are obtained. It indicates that decreasing the size of the tip of the claws while maintaining its stiffness unchanged can effectively improve the attachment ability. Furthermore, the structure of robot body and two foot trajectories are proposed and the new robot is presented. Using experimental tests, it demonstrates that this robot has high stability and adaptability while climbing on vertical rough surfaces up to a speed of 4.6 cm.s^-1.展开更多
An advanced electro-active dry adhesive, which was composed of a mushroom-shaped tibrillar dry adhesive array actuated by an Ionic Polymer Metal Composite （IPMC） artificial muscle reinforced with nitrogen-doped carb...An advanced electro-active dry adhesive, which was composed of a mushroom-shaped tibrillar dry adhesive array actuated by an Ionic Polymer Metal Composite （IPMC） artificial muscle reinforced with nitrogen-doped carbon nanocages （NCNCs）, was developed to imitate the actuation of a gecko＇s toe. The properties of the NCNC-reinforced Nation membrane, the electro- mechanical properties of the NCNC-reinforced IPMC, and the related electro-active adhesion ability were investigated. The NCNCs were uniformly dispersed in the 0.1 wt% NCNC/Nafion membrane, and there was a seamless connection with no clear interface between the dry adhesive and the IPMC. Our 0.1 wt% NCNC/Nation-IPMC actuator shows a displacement and force that are 1.6 - 2 times higher than those of the recast Nafion-IPMC. This is due to the increased water uptake （25.39%） and tensile strength （24.5 MPa） of the specific 3D hollow NCNC-reinforced Nation membrane, as well as interactions between the NCNCs and the sulfonated groups of the Nation. The NCNC/Nation-IPMC was used to effectively actuate the mushroom-shaped dry adhesive. The normal adhesion forces were 7.85 raN, 12.1 mN, and 51.7 mN at sinusoidal voltages of 1.5 V, 2.5 V, and 3.5 V, respectively, at 0.1 Hz. Under the bionic leg trail, the normal and shear forces were approximately 713.5 mN （159 mN·cm^-2） and 1256.6 mN （279 mN·cm^-2）, respectively, which satisfy the required adhesion. This new electro-active dry adhesive can be applied for active, distributed actuation and flexible grip in robots.展开更多
Locusts （Locusta migratoria manilensis） are characterised by their flying ability and abiding jump ability. Research on the jumping mechanics and behavior of locusts plays an important role in elucidating the mechan...Locusts （Locusta migratoria manilensis） are characterised by their flying ability and abiding jump ability. Research on the jumping mechanics and behavior of locusts plays an important role in elucidating the mechanism of hexapod locomotion. The jump gestures of locusts were observed using high-speed video camera at 250 fps. The reaction forces of the hindlegs were measured using two three-dimensional sensors, in case the two hindlegs attached on separated sensor plates. The jump gestures and reaction forces were used to illustrate the locust jumping mechanism. Results show that the trajectory control is achieved by rapid rolling and yawing movements of the locust body, caused by the forelegs, midlegs and hindlegs in different jumping phases. The final jump trajectory was not determined until hind tarsi left platform. The horizontal co-impulse between two hindlegs might play a key role in jump stability and accuracy. Besides, the angle between two hindlegs affects the control of jump trajectory but has a little effect on the elevation angle of a jump, which is controlled mechanically by the initial position of the hindlegs. This research lays the groundwork for the probable design and development ofbiomimetic robotics.展开更多
Geckos' ability to move on steep surfaces depends on their excellent adhesive structure, timely adjustments on locomotor behaviors, and elaborates control on reaction forces. However, it is still unclear how they ...Geckos' ability to move on steep surfaces depends on their excellent adhesive structure, timely adjustments on locomotor behaviors, and elaborates control on reaction forces. However, it is still unclear how they can generate a sufficient driving force that is necessary for locomotion, while ensuring reliable adhesion on steep inclines. We measured the forces acting on each foot and recorded the contact states between feet and substrates when geckos encountered smooth inclination challenges ranging from 0° to 180°. The critical angles of the resultant force vectors of the front and hind-feet increased with respect to the incline angles. When the incline angle became greater than 120°, the critical angles of the front- and hind-feet were similar, and the averages of the critical angles of the front - and hind-feet were both smaller than 120°, indicating that the complicated and accurate synergy among toes endows gecko's foot an obvious characteristic of "frictional adhesion" during locomotion. Additionally, we established a contact mechanical model for gecko's foot in order to quantify the contribution of the frictional forces generated by the heel, and the adhesion forces generated by the toes on various inclines. The synergy between multiple contact mechanisms(friction or adhesion) is critical for the reliable attachment on an inclined surface, which is impossible to achieve by using a single-contact mechanism, thereby increasing the animal's ability to adapt to its environment.展开更多
Pigeons （Columba livia） have excellent flying and orienting abilities and are ideal study subjects for biologists who re- search the underlying neurological mechanisms that modulate flying and allow birds to find th...Pigeons （Columba livia） have excellent flying and orienting abilities and are ideal study subjects for biologists who re- search the underlying neurological mechanisms that modulate flying and allow birds to find their way home. These mechanisms also attract the engineers who want to apply pigeon locomotion to the design of flying robots. Here, we identified the mo- tor-related brain nuclei and revealed their relationship in spatial distribution in pigeons under light anesthesia and freely moving conditions respectively. Flapping and lateral body movements were successfully elicited when electrical microstimulation was applied to the diencephalon, medial part of the midbrain, and medulla oblongata of lightly anesthetized pigeons （N = 28） whose heads were fixed. The current thresholds for stimulating different nuclei and behavior ranged from 10 pA to 20 ~tA. During freely moving tests （N = 24）, taking off and turning were induced by a wireless stimulator through microelectrodes implanted in specific nuclei or brain regions. The results showed that electrical stimulation of these nuclei elicited the desired motor behavior. In addition, regulatory mechanisms were identified in the motor-related regions and nuclei of pigeons. Overlapping in the behavior elicited by stimulation of different regions indicates that complicated neural networks regulate motor behavior. Therefore, more studies need to be conducted involving simultaneous stimulation at multiple points within the nuclei involved in the networks.展开更多
Materials with appropriate adhesive properties are suitable for the fabrication of bionic adhesive pads. In this study, a novel polydimethylsiloxane （PDMS） material enhanced with two types of crosslinkers, carbon na...Materials with appropriate adhesive properties are suitable for the fabrication of bionic adhesive pads. In this study, a novel polydimethylsiloxane （PDMS） material enhanced with two types of crosslinkers, carbon nanotubes and graphene sheets, was fabricated. The Contact Angle （CA） and cross-sectional morphology of the new material were investigated and observed using a CA meter and Scanning Electron Microscopy （SEM）, respectively. CA measurements indicate that the surface energy of the novel material is twice that of the common PDMS material. SEM observations show that carbon nanotubes and graphene sheets are well dispersed in the polymer, a feature that improves the mechanical properties of the new material. The adhesive performance of this novel composite was tested on an in-house fabricated friction machine. Results show that at a preload of only 50 mN, the adhesion of the novel PDMS material is up to -3.7 times that of common PDMS. The maximum macroscale shear strength and normal adhesion reach 4 N·cm^-2 and 1 N·cm^-2, respectively. The adhesive capability of the material is maintained even after hundreds of times of repeated use. This novel material exhibits excellent adhesion, sufficiently high elastic modulus and high repeatability at low preloads.展开更多
Various bio-inspired dry adhesive materials have been investigated.In this work,lithography and silicon deep etching method were used to fabricate bio-inspired micro-pillar dry adhesive materials of which the paramete...Various bio-inspired dry adhesive materials have been investigated.In this work,lithography and silicon deep etching method were used to fabricate bio-inspired micro-pillar dry adhesive materials of which the parameters,such as side length,Height to Side length Aspect Ratio(HSAR),and inter-pillar Distance to Side length Aspect Ratio(DSAR)were comprehensively studied to obtain a dry adhesive with high adhesion.An orthogonal array method was designed and a series of fabrication experiments were conducted to identify optimum parameters,which resulted in a high normal adhesion of 2.98 N·cm^-2 and a shear adhesion of 9.59 N·cm^-2.An adhesion and desorption device was further designed on basis of the optimum dry adhesive,which enables an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle(UAV)to successfully adhere on and detach from a ceiling.This would allow an UAV to stay aloft for prolonged time,which could be invaluable to many applications,such as energy conservation and aerial detection.展开更多
The mechanical and frictional properties of different parts of the elytra of five species of beetle were measured using a nano-indenter and a micro-tribometer. The surface microstructures of the elytra were observed b...The mechanical and frictional properties of different parts of the elytra of five species of beetle were measured using a nano-indenter and a micro-tribometer. The surface microstructures of the elytra were observed by optical microscopy and scanning white light interferometry. The surface microstructures of the elytra of all five species are characterized as non-smooth concavo-convex although specific morphological differences demonstrate the diversity of beetle elytra. Young＇s modulus and the hardness of the elytral materials vary with the species of beetle and the sampling locations, ranging from 1.80 GPa to 12.44 GPa, and from 0.24 GPa to 0.75 GPa, respectively. In general, both the Young＇s modulus and the hardness are lower in samples taken from the center of the elytra than those taken from other regions, which reflects the functional heterogeneity of biological material in the process of biological evolution. The elytra have very low friction coefficient, ranging from 0.037 to 0.079, which is related to their composition and morphology. Our measurements indicate that the surface texture and its mi- crostructural size of beetle elytra contribute to anti-friction effects.展开更多
The performance of Ionic Polymer Metal Composite （IPMC） actuator was significantly enhanced by incorporating surfactant-assisted processable Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes （MWCNTs） into a Nation solution. Cationic ...The performance of Ionic Polymer Metal Composite （IPMC） actuator was significantly enhanced by incorporating surfactant-assisted processable Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes （MWCNTs） into a Nation solution. Cationic surfactant Cetyl Trimethyl Ammonium Bromide （CTAB） was employed to disperse MWCNTs in the Nation matriX, forming a homogeneous and stable dispersion ofnanotubes. The processing did not involve any strong acid treatment and thus effectively preserved the excellent electronic properties associated with MWCNT. The as-obtained MWCNT/Nafion-IPMC actuator was tested in terms of conductivity, bulk and surface morphology, blocking force and electric current. It was shown that the blocking force and the current of the new IPMC are 2.4 times and 1.67 times higher compared with a pure Nation-based IPMC. Moreover, the MWCNT/IPMC performance is much better than previously reported Nafion-IPMC doped by acid-treated MWCNT. Such significantly improved performance should be attributed to the improvement of electrical property associated with the addition of MWCNTs without acid treatment.展开更多
Recently,researchers have concentrated on studying ionic polymer metal composite(IPMC)artificial muscle,which has numerous advantages including a relatively large strain under low input voltage,flexibility,high respon...Recently,researchers have concentrated on studying ionic polymer metal composite(IPMC)artificial muscle,which has numerous advantages including a relatively large strain under low input voltage,flexibility,high response,low noise,light weight,and high driving energy density.This paper reports recent developments in IPMC artificial muscle,including improvement methods,modeling,and applications.Different types of IPMCs are described,along with various methods for overcoming some shortcomings,including improvement of Nafion matrix membranes,surface preparation of Nafion membranes,the choice of high-performing electrodes,and new electro-active polymers for enhancing the properties of IPMCs.IPMC models are also reviewed,providing theoretical guidance for studying the performance and applications of IPMCs.Successful applications such as bio-inspired robots,opto-mechatronic systems,and medical engineering are discussed.展开更多
Discoveries in geckos locomotion have advanced the bio-inspired robotics.However,the gecko-inspired robots still lag behind animals in attachments and maneuvers due to our failure to understand and implement gecko bio...Discoveries in geckos locomotion have advanced the bio-inspired robotics.However,the gecko-inspired robots still lag behind animals in attachments and maneuvers due to our failure to understand and implement gecko bionics thoroughly.Here,we studied the toe deployments that facilitate the upside-down motion of geckos by focusing on the directions and contact area of toes to offer inspirations for the design and control of feet of legged robots that must operate on inverted surfaces.Instead of clustering toes,geckos align toes in varying directions.They distribute adhesion to toes by controlling the magnitude of contact area,with one square millimeter setae generating〜153.8 mN shear force and〜39.5 mN attractive force on ceilings.Front feet deploy toes in a〜190°span that centers on〜16°from the motion direction.Toes distribute uniformly and contribute similarly.Whereas,hind feet deploy toes in a〜220°span centering around^90°relative to the fore-aft direction.The last two toes point toward the rear and contribute most in hind feet while the first two toes adhere barely.Such deployments involving distributed control among toes not only provide insight into biological adhesion but will also deliver useful information to the next generation of climbing robotics.展开更多
Hypothesis on electrostatic attraction mechanisms involving the hairy adhesion of climbing animals has been a matter of controversy for several years. The detection of tribocharge and forces at attachment organs of an...Hypothesis on electrostatic attraction mechanisms involving the hairy adhesion of climbing animals has been a matter of controversy for several years. The detection of tribocharge and forces at attachment organs of animals is a practical method of clarifying the dispute with respect to electrostatic attraction in the attachment of animals. Nonetheless, the tribo-electrification is rarely examined in the contact-adhesion of animals(especially in their free and autonomous attachment) due to the lack of available devices. Therefore, the present study involves establishing a method and an apparatus that enables synchronous detection of tribocharge and contact forces to study tribo-electrification in the free locomotion of geckos. A type of a combined sensor unit that consists of a three-dimensional force transducer and a capacitor-based charge probe is used to measure contact forces and tribocharge with a magnitude corresponding to several nano-Coulombs at a footpad of geckos when they climb vertically upward on an acrylic oligomer substrate. The experimental results indicate that tribocharge at the footpads of geckos is related to contact forces and contact areas. The measured charge allows the expectation of an exact attraction with magnitude corresponding to dozens of newtons per square meter and provides a probability of examining tribo-electrification in animal attachment from a macro level.展开更多
The motion of an Ionic Polymer Metal Composite （IPMC） cantilever under a periodic voltage control is modeled. In our finite element 3D model, we follow both the free tip displacements and the blocking forces for var...The motion of an Ionic Polymer Metal Composite （IPMC） cantilever under a periodic voltage control is modeled. In our finite element 3D model, we follow both the free tip displacements and the blocking forces for various thicknesses and elastic constants of the ionomer membrane. It turns out that the maximum displacement of the free tip strongly depends on the value of the Young＇s modulus of the electrodes. Furthermore, the maximum blocking force, Fmax, increases with the thickness of the ionomer membrane. At constant values of Young＇s moduli of the electrodes and ionomer membrane thickness, if the Young＇s modulus of the ionomer membrane varies within the range from 0.2 MPa to 1 GPa, the change of Fmax is less than 10 %. The simulated maximal displacements, blocking forces and electrical currents are compared with the corresponding sets of ex- perimental data, respectively. Qualitative agreement between the simulated and the respective measured data profiles is ob- tained. Furthermore, it is found that the assumption of electrostatic interactions in the cation depleted region of the ionomer membrane has a negligible effect. The advantage of the model consists in its simplicity.展开更多
文摘Many animals possess adhesive pads on their feet, which are able tO attach to various substrates while controlling adhesive forces during locomotion. This review article studies the morphology of adhesive devices in animals, and the physical mechanisms of wet adhesion and dry adhesion. The adhesive pads are either ＇smooth＇ or densely covered with special adhesive setae. Smooth pads adhere by wet adhesion, which is facilitated by fluid secreted from the pads, whereas hairy pads can adhere by dry adhesion or wet adhesion. Contact area, distance between pad and substrate, viscosity and surface tension of the liquid filling the gap between pad and substrate are the most important factors which determine the wet adhesion. Dry adhesion was found only in hairy pads, which occurs in geckos and spiders. It was demonstrated that van der Waals interaction is the dominant adhesive force in geckos＇ adhesion. The bio-inspired applications derived from adhesive pads are also reviewed.
基金Acknowledgement The authors thank the financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China （Grant No. 50705043, 60535020 and 60910007）.
文摘Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite （IPMC） is a new electro-active polymer, which has the advantages of light weight, flexibility, and large stroke with low driving voltage. Because of these features, IPMC can be applied to bionic robotic actuators, artificial muscles, as well as dynamic sensors. However, IPMC has the major drawback of low generative blocking force. In this paper, in order to enhance the blocking force, the Nation membranes with thickness of 0.22 mm, 0.32 mm, 0.42 mm, 0.64 mm and 0.8 mm were prepared by casting from liquid solution. By employing these Nation membranes, IPMCs with varying thickness were fabricated by electroless plating. The elastic modulus of the casted Nation membranes were obtained by a nano-indenter, and the current, the displacement and the blocking force were respectively measured by the apparatus for actuation test. Finally, the effects of the thickness on the performance of IPMC were analyzed with an electromechanical model. Experimental study and theory analysis indicate that as the thickness increases, the elastic modulus of Nation membrane and the blocking force of IPMC increase, however, the current and the displacement decrease.
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 31601870 and 51435008)Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province, China (Grant No. SBK20160800 to Zhouyi WANG)Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Bionic Functional Materials
文摘Animals have evolved a variety of behavior patterns to adapt to the environment. Motion-capture technology is utilized to quantify and characterize locomotor behaviors to reveal the mechanisms of animal motion. In the capture of flexible, small animals with complex locomotor behaviors, the markers interfere with each other easily, and the motion forms(bending, twisting) of the moving parts are obviously different;thus, it is a great challenge to realize accurate quantitative characterization of complex locomotor behaviors. The correlation between the marker properties, including the size and space length, and the precision of the system are revealed in this paper, and the effects of diverse marker shapes on the capturing accuracy of the captured objects in different motion forms were tested. Results showed that the precision of system is significantly improved when the ratio of the space length to the diameter of the markers is larger than four;for the capture of the spatial twisting motion of the flexible object, the hexagon markers had the lowest spatial lost-marker rate relative to the circle, triangle, and square. Customized markers were used to capture the locomotor behavior of the gecko-inspired robot(rigid connection) and the gecko(flexible connection). The results showed that this marking technology can achieve high accuracy of motion capture for geckos(the average deviation was approximately 0.32 mm, and the average deviation’s variation rate was approximately 0.96%). In this paper, the marking technology for the motion capture of flexible, small animals with complex motion is proposed;it can effectively improve the system precision as well as the capture accuracy, and realize the quantitative characterization of the complex motion of flexible, small objects. It provides a reliable technical means to deeply study the evolution of the motion function of small animals and advance systematic research of motion-capture technology.
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.51435008 and 51705247)the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(No.2020M671474)
文摘In this work,the size-dependent buckling of functionally graded(FG)Bernoulli-Euler beams under non-uniform temperature is analyzed based on the stressdriven nonlocal elasticity and nonlocal heat conduction.By utilizing the variational principle of virtual work,the governing equations and the associated standard boundary conditions are systematically extracted,and the thermal effect,equivalent to the induced thermal load,is explicitly assessed by using the nonlocal heat conduction law.The stressdriven constitutive integral equation is equivalently transformed into a differential form with two non-standard constitutive boundary conditions.By employing the eigenvalue method,the critical buckling loads of the beams with different boundary conditions are obtained.The numerically predicted results reveal that the growth of the nonlocal parameter leads to a consistently strengthening effect on the dimensionless critical buckling loads for all boundary cases.Additionally,the effects of the influential factors pertinent to the nonlocal heat conduction on the buckling behavior are carefully examined.
基金supported by the National Key R&D program of China (2019YFB1309600)National Natural Science Foundation of China (51975283).
文摘Geckos can move quickly in various environments by efficiently controlling their complex adhesive toe pads.The locomotion behaviours observed in the attachment-detachment(A-D)cycle of their toe pads in response to changes in their environment should be studied to understand the adaptive behavioural characteristics of such toe pads.The lack of systematic research on the entire A-D cycle,including the release,swing,contact,and adhesion stages,limits the comprehension of the adhesive locomotion mechanism.The A-D cycle of Gekko gecko that facilitates the foot locomotion on inclined and vertical surfaces was investigated to clarify the locomotion behaviours in different stages.Results show that the change trends of foot locomotor angles(yaw and pitch)during the entire A-D cycle remain unchanged in response to various substrates.The bending angles(fore 41°;hind 51°)and contact time percentages(fore 7.42%;hind 7.44%)in the contact stage as well as the forefoot angle ranges(yaw:163.09°;pitch:308.68°)in the A-D cycle also remain constant across all substrates.These invariant foot locomotion behaviours during the swing and contact stages suggest that the foot behaviours are weakly related to the forces acting on the foot,which change according to the environment.Furthermore,the forefoot and hindfoot have different anatomical structure and functional demands,thus,the angle range of forefoot locomotion is larger than that of hindfoot locomotion,and the pitch angle change trend of the forefoot is opposite to that of the hindfoot.The diverse and complex locomotion control of the adhesive toe pads for various environments is reduced by the consistent behaviours in the gecko’s A-D cycle,such as the constant postures in the swing and contact stages.This study provides insight into the adhesive locomotion mechanism of geckos and can facilitate further research on the effective design and control of adhesion robots.
基金supported by the National Key R&D Program of China,Topic 4-NUAA(Grant No.2020 YFB1313504)to PM.
文摘Lizards use the synergy between their feet and tail to climb on slopes and vertical terrains.They use their soft adhesive feet with millions of small hairs to increase their contact area with the terrain surface and press their tails against the terrain to actively maintain stability during climbing.Inspired by this,we propose a bio-inspired climbing robot based on a new approach wherein the synergy between soft feet and an active tail with a soft adhesive tip allows the robot to climb stably on even and uneven terrains at different slope angles.We evaluate and compare the climbing performance of the robot on three different terrains(hard,soft,and fluffy)at different slope angles.Various robot configurations are employed,including those with standard hard feet and soft feet in combination with an active tail-with and without a soft tip.The experimental results show that the robot having soft feet and a tail with the soft tip achieves the best climbing performance on all terrains,with maximum climbing slopes of 40°,45°,and 50°on fluffy,soft,and hard terrains,respectively.Its payload capacity depends on the type of terrain and the inclination angle.Moreover,our robot performs multi-terrain transitions(climbing from horizontal to sloped terrains)on three different terrains of a slope.This approach can allow a climbing robot to walk and climb on different terrains,extending the operational range of the robot to areas with complex terrains and slopes,e.g.,in inspection,exploration,and construction.
基金supported by the National Key R&D program of China(2023YFE0207000)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.51975283 and U22B2040)the Research Fund of State Key Laboratory of Mechanics and Control for Aerospace Structures(Grant No.1005-IZD2300225).
文摘Flexible attachment actuators are popular in a wide range of applications,owing to their flexibility and highly reliable attachment.However,their reversible adhesion performance depends on the actual effective contact area and peel angle during operation.Therefore,a good actuator must ensure a uniform and reliable pre-pressure load on an adhesive surface,to increase the effective contact area of the attached surface,thereby maximizing adhesion.This study was inspired by fusion bionics for designing a hierarchical attachment structure with vacuum-adsorption and dry-adhesion mechanisms.The designed structure used the normal force under the negative pressure of a suction cup as a stable source of a pre-pressure load.By optimizing the rigid and flexible structural layers of the attachment structure,a load was applied uniformly to the adhesion area;thus,reliable attachment was achieved by self-preloading.The structure achieved detachment by exploiting the large deformation of a pneumatic structure under a positive pressure.The hierarchical attachment structure achieved up to 85%of the optimal performance of the adhesive surface.Owing to its self-preloading and reliable attachment characteristics,the designed structure can be used as an attachment unit in various complex scenarios,such as small,lightweight climbing platforms and the transport of objects in long,narrow pipelines.
基金Acknowledgment This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China （51375232） and Key Plan of Research and Development of Jiangsu Province （BE2017766）.
文摘Many animals exhibit strong mechanical interlocking in order to achieve efficient climbing against rough surfaces by using their claws in the pads. To maximally use the mechanical interlocking, an innovative robot which utilizes flexible pad with claws is designed. The mechanism for attachments of the claws against rough surfaces is further revealed according to the theoretical analysis. Moreover, the effects of the key parameters on the performances of the climbing robots are obtained. It indicates that decreasing the size of the tip of the claws while maintaining its stiffness unchanged can effectively improve the attachment ability. Furthermore, the structure of robot body and two foot trajectories are proposed and the new robot is presented. Using experimental tests, it demonstrates that this robot has high stability and adaptability while climbing on vertical rough surfaces up to a speed of 4.6 cm.s^-1.
基金This work was partially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China （Grant Nos. 51605220, U1637101, 51435008）, the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province （Grant No. BK20160793）, the High Level Introduction of Talent Research Start-up Fund in NUAA （Grant No. 1011-YAH16010）, and Open Project Fund in Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory for Interventional Medical Devices （Grant No. jr1601）. The authors would very much like to thank Professor Stanislav N. Gorb in the Department of Functional Morphology and Biome- chanics in the Zoological Institute of the University of Kiel, Germany, for his help with the mushroom-shapeddry adhesives, and also thank Dr. Yajun Xue and Miss Yan Ding for help with the SEM observations.
文摘An advanced electro-active dry adhesive, which was composed of a mushroom-shaped tibrillar dry adhesive array actuated by an Ionic Polymer Metal Composite （IPMC） artificial muscle reinforced with nitrogen-doped carbon nanocages （NCNCs）, was developed to imitate the actuation of a gecko＇s toe. The properties of the NCNC-reinforced Nation membrane, the electro- mechanical properties of the NCNC-reinforced IPMC, and the related electro-active adhesion ability were investigated. The NCNCs were uniformly dispersed in the 0.1 wt% NCNC/Nafion membrane, and there was a seamless connection with no clear interface between the dry adhesive and the IPMC. Our 0.1 wt% NCNC/Nation-IPMC actuator shows a displacement and force that are 1.6 - 2 times higher than those of the recast Nafion-IPMC. This is due to the increased water uptake （25.39%） and tensile strength （24.5 MPa） of the specific 3D hollow NCNC-reinforced Nation membrane, as well as interactions between the NCNCs and the sulfonated groups of the Nation. The NCNC/Nation-IPMC was used to effectively actuate the mushroom-shaped dry adhesive. The normal adhesion forces were 7.85 raN, 12.1 mN, and 51.7 mN at sinusoidal voltages of 1.5 V, 2.5 V, and 3.5 V, respectively, at 0.1 Hz. Under the bionic leg trail, the normal and shear forces were approximately 713.5 mN （159 mN·cm^-2） and 1256.6 mN （279 mN·cm^-2）, respectively, which satisfy the required adhesion. This new electro-active dry adhesive can be applied for active, distributed actuation and flexible grip in robots.
基金Acknowledgments This work was supported by the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China （＂863＂ Program Grant No. 2007ZA04Z201） and the National Natural Science Foundation of China （Grant Nos. 60910007 and 60535020）. We sincerely thank J. Z. Dou for helping with microscopy preparations, H. C. Ding for helping with the video equipment, and Y. F. Lei for the grasping force measurements.
文摘Locusts （Locusta migratoria manilensis） are characterised by their flying ability and abiding jump ability. Research on the jumping mechanics and behavior of locusts plays an important role in elucidating the mechanism of hexapod locomotion. The jump gestures of locusts were observed using high-speed video camera at 250 fps. The reaction forces of the hindlegs were measured using two three-dimensional sensors, in case the two hindlegs attached on separated sensor plates. The jump gestures and reaction forces were used to illustrate the locust jumping mechanism. Results show that the trajectory control is achieved by rapid rolling and yawing movements of the locust body, caused by the forelegs, midlegs and hindlegs in different jumping phases. The final jump trajectory was not determined until hind tarsi left platform. The horizontal co-impulse between two hindlegs might play a key role in jump stability and accuracy. Besides, the angle between two hindlegs affects the control of jump trajectory but has a little effect on the elevation angle of a jump, which is controlled mechanically by the initial position of the hindlegs. This research lays the groundwork for the probable design and development ofbiomimetic robotics.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51435008 to Z.D. and 31601870 to Z.W.)Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province, China (Grant No.SBK2016040649 to Z.W.).
文摘Geckos' ability to move on steep surfaces depends on their excellent adhesive structure, timely adjustments on locomotor behaviors, and elaborates control on reaction forces. However, it is still unclear how they can generate a sufficient driving force that is necessary for locomotion, while ensuring reliable adhesion on steep inclines. We measured the forces acting on each foot and recorded the contact states between feet and substrates when geckos encountered smooth inclination challenges ranging from 0° to 180°. The critical angles of the resultant force vectors of the front and hind-feet increased with respect to the incline angles. When the incline angle became greater than 120°, the critical angles of the front- and hind-feet were similar, and the averages of the critical angles of the front - and hind-feet were both smaller than 120°, indicating that the complicated and accurate synergy among toes endows gecko's foot an obvious characteristic of "frictional adhesion" during locomotion. Additionally, we established a contact mechanical model for gecko's foot in order to quantify the contribution of the frictional forces generated by the heel, and the adhesion forces generated by the toes on various inclines. The synergy between multiple contact mechanisms(friction or adhesion) is critical for the reliable attachment on an inclined surface, which is impossible to achieve by using a single-contact mechanism, thereby increasing the animal's ability to adapt to its environment.
文摘Pigeons （Columba livia） have excellent flying and orienting abilities and are ideal study subjects for biologists who re- search the underlying neurological mechanisms that modulate flying and allow birds to find their way home. These mechanisms also attract the engineers who want to apply pigeon locomotion to the design of flying robots. Here, we identified the mo- tor-related brain nuclei and revealed their relationship in spatial distribution in pigeons under light anesthesia and freely moving conditions respectively. Flapping and lateral body movements were successfully elicited when electrical microstimulation was applied to the diencephalon, medial part of the midbrain, and medulla oblongata of lightly anesthetized pigeons （N = 28） whose heads were fixed. The current thresholds for stimulating different nuclei and behavior ranged from 10 pA to 20 ~tA. During freely moving tests （N = 24）, taking off and turning were induced by a wireless stimulator through microelectrodes implanted in specific nuclei or brain regions. The results showed that electrical stimulation of these nuclei elicited the desired motor behavior. In addition, regulatory mechanisms were identified in the motor-related regions and nuclei of pigeons. Overlapping in the behavior elicited by stimulation of different regions indicates that complicated neural networks regulate motor behavior. Therefore, more studies need to be conducted involving simultaneous stimulation at multiple points within the nuclei involved in the networks.
基金Acknowledgments The authors would like to thank Mr Y. J. Xue for his help with the SEM measurements, Miss H. H. Zhao for her help in fabricating the graphene sheets, and Mr. X. D Sun for his help in measuring the elastic moduli of tile NPWC and NPWOC materials. This work was supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China （Grant Nos. 51175251, 51275237 and 61161120323）, by the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province （Grant No. BK2011734）, by the Funding for Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation in NUAA （Grant No. BCXJ11-06）, by the Funding of Jiangsu Innovation Program for Graduate Education （Grant No. CXLX11_0178）, and by the Fundamental Research Funds for Central Universities.
文摘Materials with appropriate adhesive properties are suitable for the fabrication of bionic adhesive pads. In this study, a novel polydimethylsiloxane （PDMS） material enhanced with two types of crosslinkers, carbon nanotubes and graphene sheets, was fabricated. The Contact Angle （CA） and cross-sectional morphology of the new material were investigated and observed using a CA meter and Scanning Electron Microscopy （SEM）, respectively. CA measurements indicate that the surface energy of the novel material is twice that of the common PDMS material. SEM observations show that carbon nanotubes and graphene sheets are well dispersed in the polymer, a feature that improves the mechanical properties of the new material. The adhesive performance of this novel composite was tested on an in-house fabricated friction machine. Results show that at a preload of only 50 mN, the adhesion of the novel PDMS material is up to -3.7 times that of common PDMS. The maximum macroscale shear strength and normal adhesion reach 4 N·cm^-2 and 1 N·cm^-2, respectively. The adhesive capability of the material is maintained even after hundreds of times of repeated use. This novel material exhibits excellent adhesion, sufficiently high elastic modulus and high repeatability at low preloads.
基金The authors gratefully acknowledge the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.51605220)Jiangsu Province Natural Science Foundation(No.BK20160793)the High Level Introduction of Talent Research Start-up Fund in NUAA(No.1011-YAH16010)。
文摘Various bio-inspired dry adhesive materials have been investigated.In this work,lithography and silicon deep etching method were used to fabricate bio-inspired micro-pillar dry adhesive materials of which the parameters,such as side length,Height to Side length Aspect Ratio(HSAR),and inter-pillar Distance to Side length Aspect Ratio(DSAR)were comprehensively studied to obtain a dry adhesive with high adhesion.An orthogonal array method was designed and a series of fabrication experiments were conducted to identify optimum parameters,which resulted in a high normal adhesion of 2.98 N·cm^-2 and a shear adhesion of 9.59 N·cm^-2.An adhesion and desorption device was further designed on basis of the optimum dry adhesive,which enables an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle(UAV)to successfully adhere on and detach from a ceiling.This would allow an UAV to stay aloft for prolonged time,which could be invaluable to many applications,such as energy conservation and aerial detection.
基金The authors acknowledge financial support from the National Nature Science Foundation of China
文摘The mechanical and frictional properties of different parts of the elytra of five species of beetle were measured using a nano-indenter and a micro-tribometer. The surface microstructures of the elytra were observed by optical microscopy and scanning white light interferometry. The surface microstructures of the elytra of all five species are characterized as non-smooth concavo-convex although specific morphological differences demonstrate the diversity of beetle elytra. Young＇s modulus and the hardness of the elytral materials vary with the species of beetle and the sampling locations, ranging from 1.80 GPa to 12.44 GPa, and from 0.24 GPa to 0.75 GPa, respectively. In general, both the Young＇s modulus and the hardness are lower in samples taken from the center of the elytra than those taken from other regions, which reflects the functional heterogeneity of biological material in the process of biological evolution. The elytra have very low friction coefficient, ranging from 0.037 to 0.079, which is related to their composition and morphology. Our measurements indicate that the surface texture and its mi- crostructural size of beetle elytra contribute to anti-friction effects.
基金This paper is financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China （51175251 and 61161120323）, and the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province （BK2011734）, the Funding for Out- standing Doctoral Dissertation in NUAA （BCXJ 11-06）, the Funding of Jiangsu Innovation Program for Graduate Education （CXLXll_0178）, and the Fundamental Re- search Funds for the Central Universities. The authors thank Mr. Yajun Xue for his help in SEM measurements, and Mr. Xinyuan Zhu for his help in TEM measurements.
文摘The performance of Ionic Polymer Metal Composite （IPMC） actuator was significantly enhanced by incorporating surfactant-assisted processable Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes （MWCNTs） into a Nation solution. Cationic surfactant Cetyl Trimethyl Ammonium Bromide （CTAB） was employed to disperse MWCNTs in the Nation matriX, forming a homogeneous and stable dispersion ofnanotubes. The processing did not involve any strong acid treatment and thus effectively preserved the excellent electronic properties associated with MWCNT. The as-obtained MWCNT/Nafion-IPMC actuator was tested in terms of conductivity, bulk and surface morphology, blocking force and electric current. It was shown that the blocking force and the current of the new IPMC are 2.4 times and 1.67 times higher compared with a pure Nation-based IPMC. Moreover, the MWCNT/IPMC performance is much better than previously reported Nafion-IPMC doped by acid-treated MWCNT. Such significantly improved performance should be attributed to the improvement of electrical property associated with the addition of MWCNTs without acid treatment.
基金financial supportfrom the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.51605220,U1637101)the Jiangsu Province NaturalScience Foundation(GrantNo.BK20160793)。
文摘Recently,researchers have concentrated on studying ionic polymer metal composite(IPMC)artificial muscle,which has numerous advantages including a relatively large strain under low input voltage,flexibility,high response,low noise,light weight,and high driving energy density.This paper reports recent developments in IPMC artificial muscle,including improvement methods,modeling,and applications.Different types of IPMCs are described,along with various methods for overcoming some shortcomings,including improvement of Nafion matrix membranes,surface preparation of Nafion membranes,the choice of high-performing electrodes,and new electro-active polymers for enhancing the properties of IPMCs.IPMC models are also reviewed,providing theoretical guidance for studying the performance and applications of IPMCs.Successful applications such as bio-inspired robots,opto-mechatronic systems,and medical engineering are discussed.
基金This work was sponsored by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.51435008 and 31601870)an Educational Innovation Program(No.KYLX 160327)。
文摘Discoveries in geckos locomotion have advanced the bio-inspired robotics.However,the gecko-inspired robots still lag behind animals in attachments and maneuvers due to our failure to understand and implement gecko bionics thoroughly.Here,we studied the toe deployments that facilitate the upside-down motion of geckos by focusing on the directions and contact area of toes to offer inspirations for the design and control of feet of legged robots that must operate on inverted surfaces.Instead of clustering toes,geckos align toes in varying directions.They distribute adhesion to toes by controlling the magnitude of contact area,with one square millimeter setae generating〜153.8 mN shear force and〜39.5 mN attractive force on ceilings.Front feet deploy toes in a〜190°span that centers on〜16°from the motion direction.Toes distribute uniformly and contribute similarly.Whereas,hind feet deploy toes in a〜220°span centering around^90°relative to the fore-aft direction.The last two toes point toward the rear and contribute most in hind feet while the first two toes adhere barely.Such deployments involving distributed control among toes not only provide insight into biological adhesion but will also deliver useful information to the next generation of climbing robotics.
基金supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grants No.51435008)funding from the Jiangsu Innovation Program for Graduate Education(Grants No.KYLX16_0328)
文摘Hypothesis on electrostatic attraction mechanisms involving the hairy adhesion of climbing animals has been a matter of controversy for several years. The detection of tribocharge and forces at attachment organs of animals is a practical method of clarifying the dispute with respect to electrostatic attraction in the attachment of animals. Nonetheless, the tribo-electrification is rarely examined in the contact-adhesion of animals(especially in their free and autonomous attachment) due to the lack of available devices. Therefore, the present study involves establishing a method and an apparatus that enables synchronous detection of tribocharge and contact forces to study tribo-electrification in the free locomotion of geckos. A type of a combined sensor unit that consists of a three-dimensional force transducer and a capacitor-based charge probe is used to measure contact forces and tribocharge with a magnitude corresponding to several nano-Coulombs at a footpad of geckos when they climb vertically upward on an acrylic oligomer substrate. The experimental results indicate that tribocharge at the footpads of geckos is related to contact forces and contact areas. The measured charge allows the expectation of an exact attraction with magnitude corresponding to dozens of newtons per square meter and provides a probability of examining tribo-electrification in animal attachment from a macro level.
基金Support of the work by the National Natural Sci- ence Foundation of China （Grant No. 51175251）, the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province （Grant No. BK2011734） and support of the work by the Czech Science Foundation via project 14-36566G are grate- fully acknowledged.
文摘The motion of an Ionic Polymer Metal Composite （IPMC） cantilever under a periodic voltage control is modeled. In our finite element 3D model, we follow both the free tip displacements and the blocking forces for various thicknesses and elastic constants of the ionomer membrane. It turns out that the maximum displacement of the free tip strongly depends on the value of the Young＇s modulus of the electrodes. Furthermore, the maximum blocking force, Fmax, increases with the thickness of the ionomer membrane. At constant values of Young＇s moduli of the electrodes and ionomer membrane thickness, if the Young＇s modulus of the ionomer membrane varies within the range from 0.2 MPa to 1 GPa, the change of Fmax is less than 10 %. The simulated maximal displacements, blocking forces and electrical currents are compared with the corresponding sets of ex- perimental data, respectively. Qualitative agreement between the simulated and the respective measured data profiles is ob- tained. Furthermore, it is found that the assumption of electrostatic interactions in the cation depleted region of the ionomer membrane has a negligible effect. The advantage of the model consists in its simplicity.
