Chemical robot-design of peristaltic polymer gel actuator-

In this proceeding, we introduce peristaltic gel actuators as a chemical robot. The polymer gels prepared here have a cyclic reaction network like metabolic process in itself. With a cyclic reaction, the polymer gel swells-shrinks autonomously. The periodic self-oscillating motion of the gel is produced by the dissipating chemical energy of the oscillatory Belouzov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction. We have succeeded in convey the object automatically by utilizing the synthetic polymer gel. This experimental fact represents the great possibility of the chemical robot.