Launching by cavitation.
biomechanical · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 40875850.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1126/science.adu8943.
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Abstract
Cavitation, characterized by formation of vapor bubbles in a low-pressure or high-temperature region of a liquid, is often destructive, but it can be harnessed for actuators and robots. We exploit cavitation to accumulate substantial energy in superheated liquids by suppressing its immediate release until reaching a stability limit. The energetic, unstable bubbles collapse violently, producing a burst of high power and force that initiates motion. Notably, a millimeter-scale device launched by cavitation can jump to a height of 1.5 meters-reaching a 12 meters per second (m/s) peak velocity, a 7.14 × 10<sup>4</sup> m/s<sup>2</sup> acceleration, and a 0.64% energy efficiency-and can also swim on water at 12 centimeters per second. Cavitation-based launching works with a broad range of device materials, liquid media, stimuli, and operational environments.