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Autonomous Locomotion of Tensegrity Structure on Low‐Temperature Surfaces

Changyue Liu,Kai Li,Tianyu Li,Zixuan Wang,Jiping Yang,Zhijian Wang

Published 2025 in Advanced Robotics Research

ABSTRACT

Tensegrity structure is a lightweight framework composed of tensile cables and compressive rods, demonstrating significant potential for planetary exploration robots due to their structural flexibility, large deployment, and excellent load‐bearing capacity. Specially, the tensegrity structure fabricated by integrating thermally responsive liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) and passive cables, is capable of self‐propelling continuously on a hot surface. However, the hybrid tensegrity structure requires surface temperature exceeding 100°C to actuate, due to the high phase transition temperature of its LCE cables, limiting its potential practical applications. Here, a low‐temperature responsive tensegrity structure (LRTS) is presented using LCE with low phase transition temperature and nonresponsive material as soft cables. Tailored phase transition temperatures of LCEs are achieved through precisely adjusting the ratio of two distinct liquid crystal mesogens, enabling operation on mildly heated surfaces. The mechanical and actuation properties of two types of cable materials are precisely tuned to meet the requirement of self‐propelled tensegrity structure. In addition, the rolling conditions of the LRTS are systematically investigated. The LRTS can undertake self‐propelling motion on the surface with mild temperatures. The ability to tune rolling temperature by tailoring the responsive temperature of active cable enriches the design strategies of the tensegrity structures.

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