Fig. 5: Demonstrative applications of soft demoulding.
From: Self-shrinking soft demoulding for complex high-aspect-ratio microchannels
a The pneumatic soft robot in a twisting state mimics the millipede in a defence state (left inset) using the plectoneme microchannel. Scale bars a–d, 5 mm. b The long, soft tendril robot (length: 10 cm) containing a helical microchannel (diameter: 150 µm) (aspect ratio > 1600) climbs on a rod after being inflated, like the real tendril (left inset). c The soft, thin, long strain sensor (channel diameter: 150 µm, length: 15 cm) capable of acquiring the elbow motion. d The soft antenna containing a 3D helical microchannel (diameter: 180 μm) exhibiting different reflection coefficients under different deflection \(d\). Scale bar (inset): 200 µm. e The artificial blood vessels in fibrin gels with HUVECs seeded, fabricated by soft demoulding. The confocal image of the cross-sectional views of the image (z-projection of a 250 µm stack) of the tapered artificial vessel (the minimum diameter: 250 µm, the maximum diameter: 500 µm) and the straight artificial vessel (diameter: 150 μm) after one day of HUVECs seeding. The confocal images of the fibrin gel after 1–2 days of culture stained with live (green)/dead (red) essay. Images in e are representative of three independent artificial vessels (experimental replicates). Scale bars, 200 µm.
