Advances in smart materials soft actuators on mechanisms, fabrication, materials, and multifaceted applications: A review

Abstract

The soft actuators of smart materials have attracted significant attention in recent years due to their unique functions and distinctive characteristics. The actuators are composed of smart materials that can demonstrate substantial alterations in their dimensions, shape, or mechanical characteristics when subjected to external stimuli, including but not limited to temperature, light, electricity, or magnetic fields. These aforementioned characteristics render them highly advantageous for various applications, including tissue engineering, prosthetics, surgical robots, drug delivery, and soft robotics. A deeper understanding of the principles of the actuators is crucial for their development and application expansion. This article provides a comprehensive analysis of soft actuators made from smart materials, explaining their underlying concepts, operational mechanisms, material composition, production techniques, and the diverse range of applications across various fields, including tissue engineering, prosthetics, surgical robotics, drug delivery systems, and the emerging field of soft robotics. This review further highlights the current challenges and prospects to address these problems to enable their ability to revolutionize into a variety of different technical fields.