Technology

McGill engineers pioneer shape-shifting graphene films for soft robots

11:50

By: Dakir Madiha

McGill engineers pioneer shape-shifting graphene films for soft robots

Engineers at McGill University have pioneered ultrathin graphene oxide films that can be programmed to move, fold, and reconfigure like animated origami. These innovations promise safer, more adaptable robots capable of navigating the human body or responding to dynamic environments.

The research, led by Hamid Akbarzadeh from the Department of Bioresource Engineering and Marta Cerruti from the Department of Mining and Materials Engineering, transforms paper-like sheets of folded graphene oxide into tiny devices that walk, twist, flip, and sense their own motions. By retaining water during production, the team overcame longstanding challenges with fragility, scalability, and limited programmability that have hindered practical use in next-generation soft robotics.

One study, published in Materials Horizons, shows origami-inspired structures like Miura-ori and Kresling patterns that unfurl in humid conditions and refold as they dry. This enables programmable humidity sensors without rigid components.

A companion paper in Advanced Science integrates magnetic nanoparticles, allowing remote control via magnets—no wires or batteries required. These magnetoactive films enable rapid, user-defined shape changes.

A key breakthrough lies in the films' self-sensing ability: their electrical conductivity shifts with bending, letting them act as both actuators and sensors. This eliminates separate detection hardware, creating robust, multifunctional metamaterials with real-time feedback.

The scalable production method paves the way for applications in medical devices that glide through the body, wearable tech that conforms to skin, and compact robots for confined spaces. As Akbarzadeh noted, these developments mark the arrival of reconfigurable sens-actuating metamaterials ready for real-world deployment.