Paper-Based Actuators

Aug-23-18 Paper-based actuators that respond to a current give an old medium new use.

A team from Carnegie Mellon University developed the paper actuators by printing a continuous filament of thermoplastic onto a sheet of standard copy paper. The Printed Paper Actuator was then heated, folded into the chosen shape, and cooled. Left on its own, the paper actuator does not change shape. However, when a current is applied to the device, the plastic will become flexible under the heat and cause the paper to flatten out. When the current is removed, the paper returns to its original shape.

According to assistant professor Lining Yao, "We are reinventing this really old material. Actuation truly turns paper into another medium, one that has both artistic and practical uses."

More Info about this Invention:

[NEWATLAS.COM]
[CMU.EDU]

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