3D‐Printed Soft Magnetoactive Origami Actuators

Abstract

Abstract Soft magnetoactive material‐driven origami actuators, controlled wirelessly by external magnetic fields, combine the folding capabilities of origami with the compliance of soft materials. However, research in optimizing magnet placement and field direction for enhanced actuation remains limited. This study presents 3D printed soft magnetoactive materials integrated into various origami structures with different film placements, enabling applications in non‐invasive drug delivery and crawling robotics. The printing ink, containing up to 75 wt.% ferromagnetic particles and UV‐curable elastomers, is processed using a customized 3D printing system with dual curing mechanism‐UV light and heated collecting platform, allowing instantaneous consolidation of complex 3D geometries with considerable height and thickness. The resulting films exhibit strong magnetic response, flexibility, and programmable polarity, supporting untethered actuation with substantial force. Two origami actuators are developed: a non‐invasive drug delivery targeting stomach ulcer treatment, demonstrating a high folding‐to‐deployment ratio, precise guidance and secure fixation to the ulcer site, good biocompatibility; and a robotic crawler capable of traversing obstacles up to 7 mm high with speed adjustable via magnetic field strength and frequency, and adapting to diverse terrains, including sand. This work highlights the potential of combining soft magnetoactive materials and origami for scalable, wireless, and multifunctional actuator systems.