(64c) Liquid Metal Polymer Composites to Enable Soft Robotics and Stretchable Electronics

Liquid metal polymer composites have been shown to have unique properties based on the inherent deformability of a liquid encapsulated in an elastomer. From prior work in the Koh Laboratory, LMPCs can achieve dielectric permittivity values comparable to ceramic capacitors while maintaining robust mechanical integrity and deformability close to that of human skin. This makes LMPCs a highly attractive material for wearable sensors, soft capacitors, actuators, and environmentally responsive robotic and electronic components. New work in the Koh Lab, which will be highlighted here, has focused on developing materials that are specifically attuned to breathing, capacitors that maintain performance at high temperatures, improved dielectric aging and understanding of dielectric breakdown, and fundamental understanding of the impact of deformation modality and formulation on liquid metal droplet motion. This work will demonstrate how composites of liquid metals, in addition to other high performing filler materials, are critical to the progress of fields such as soft robotics, stretchable robotics, wearable sensing, and prosthetics.