Zhiming Hu

Title: Zhiming Hu and a Programmable Soft Actuator

Introduction

Zhiming Hu is an inventor associated with Westlake University in Hangzhou, China. His patent work includes a design for a three-dimensional helical artificial-fibrous-muscle structured tubular soft actuator, a technology intended to enable programmable, reversible movement in soft robotic systems.

Latest Patents

Hu is associated with 1 patent: “Three-dimensional helical-artificial-fibrous-muscle structured tubular soft actuator, manufacturing method therefor and application thereof.” The invention describes a tubular actuator made from fibrous liquid crystal elastomer oligomers. The fibers are mechanically oriented and stretched, then wound around a three-dimensional mandrel to form a helical structure. Chemical crosslinking bonds the fibers together, and the mandrel is removed to produce the actuator.

The design allows its deformation to be adjusted by changing the winding angles, liquid crystal material formulations, and fiber stretching ratios. These controls support multimodal, reversible responses to external stimuli and offer flexibility in programming three-dimensional shapes and movements. Potential applications include interactive soft robots, soft pumps, artificial muscles, and bionic intelligent systems.

Career Highlights

Hu’s listed patent work highlights an approach to soft actuator design that combines material engineering with a carefully assembled three-dimensional fiber architecture. The invention emphasizes design flexibility and adaptive deformation, qualities that may be useful in developing responsive soft machines.

Collaborations

Hu’s listed coworker is Jiuan Lv. The patent description presents the actuator technology and its manufacturing method, while the available information does not specify individual contributions by the collaborators.

Conclusion

Zhiming Hu’s patent describes a tunable helical soft actuator whose structure and material composition can be adjusted to produce reversible three-dimensional deformations, with potential uses across robotics and other intelligent systems.