Recent Advances of Soft Actuators in Smart Wearable Electronic-Textile

Abstract

Smart wearable electronic textiles integrate sensing, perception, and control modules, which enhance human adaptability to environmental stimuli and concurrently serve as extensions for limb capabilities. The flexible and programmable nature of soft actuators makes them an indispensable part of smart wearable electronic textiles. These textiles seamlessly combine various components, such as sensors and actuators, through a comprehensive integration of materials manufacturing, circuit control, and transmission design. Exciting applications in various fields such as healthcare, sports, the Internet of Things, and human-machine interaction have been demonstrated globally. However, there is still a persistent challenge in enhancing the actuation capabilities of soft actuators while maintaining their wearability. A timely and comprehensive review of the progress of this field is provided. Several main aspects are covered: functional materials, stimulus mechanisms, performance improvement strategies, and wearable applications in human-related areas. Furthermore, the major approaches and challenges for improving the performance of actuators are systematically summarized.