Inspired by fireflies, scientists create insect-scale robots that can emit light when they fly, which enables motion tracking and communication. Lightning bugs that light up dusky backyards on warm summer evenings use their luminescence for communication — to attract a mate, ward off predators, o
Inspired by fireflies, MIT scientists have created soft actuators that can emit light in different colors or patterns. Credit: Courtesy of the researchers
The ability to emit light also brings these microscale robots, which barely weigh more than a paper clip, one step closer to flying on their own outside the lab. These robots are so lightweight that they can’t carry sensors, so researchers must track them using bulky infrared cameras that don’t work well outdoors. Now, they’ve shown that they can track the flying robots precisely using the light they emit and just three smartphone cameras.
To fabricate a glowing actuator, the researchers incorporated electroluminescent zinc sulfate particles into the elastomer but had to overcome several challenges along the way. As they prototyped the actuator, they discovered that adding zinc particles reduced its quality, causing it to break down more easily. To circumvent this problem, Kim mixed zinc particles into the top elastomer layer only. He made that layer a few micrometers thicker to accommodate for any reduction in output power.
They also tweaked the fabrication process so the actuators could emit multicolored and patterned light. The researchers placed a tiny mask over the top layer, added zinc particles, then cured the actuator. They repeated this process three times with different masks and colored particles to create a light pattern that spelled M-I-T.
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