Soft reconfigurable logic gates with high-frequency electrical switching.

Xu, Yiqun; Zhang, Fei; Rothemund, Philipp; Keplinger, Christoph; Xu, Zhipeng; Li, Jisen; Zheng, Qingbin; Zhu, Jian · Sci Adv · 2025

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

The development of functional soft materials has motivated replacing rigid electronics with stretchable logic structures. However, soft logic gates for macroscopic soft robots usually operate at low frequencies (<5 hertz). Here, we present high-frequency soft logic gates based on soft electric switches with ultralow latency (2 milliseconds). Fast switching is achieved using a tailored piezoresistive material-graphite frameworks (GFs)/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs). The GFs/PDMS strip exhibits a large resistance change within ~0.01% strain, allowing soft logic gates to operate up to 100 hertz. A soft oscillator is further developed using feedback control with a soft NOT gate and achieves autonomous deformation across ~1 to 78 hertz, demonstrating actuation, sensing, and feedback control capabilities. Compared to other soft electrical switches, this scheme also features a compact size (5 cubic centimeter) and low power consumption (0.4 milliwatts). This work enables fast, accurate control for electrostatic soft robots, enhancing their autonomy and interaction capabilities.