This paper presents interactive liquid crystal fiber arrays that can actuate in a way perceptible by human touch. The fibers are actuated via a computer interface, enabling precise control over actuation direction, magnitude, and frequency. Unlike conventional methods, our technique initiates the actuation at the base of the fibers, which is enabled by fabricating the fibers directly onto an electrical circuit. Fiber actuation is achieved by localized addressing of an in situ formed radially aligned segment. This induces reduction in the scalar order parameter and leads to deformation of the fiber base, causing bending toward the activated region. Extensive modeling validates this actuation mechanism and identifies optimal conditions and actuation strategies for achieving the desired responses. The actuation process is rapid, is highly reversible, and maintains excellent performance over repeated (>200) cycles. These liquid crystal fiber arrays provide a safe contact with humans or other objects, making them highly suitable for applications in smart wearable devices and immersive interfaces.

中文翻译：

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人机交互液晶光纤阵列


本文提出了交互式液晶纤维阵列，它可以通过人类触摸感知的方式进行驱动。纤维通过计算机接口驱动，从而能够精确控制驱动方向、幅度和频率。与传统方法不同，我们的技术在纤维底部启动驱动，这是通过将纤维直接制造到电路上来实现的。光纤驱动是通过对原位形成的径向对齐段进行局部寻址来实现的。这会导致标量有序参数减小并导致光纤基底变形，从而导致向激活区域弯曲。广泛的建模验证了这种驱动机制，并确定了实现所需响应的最佳条件和驱动策略。驱动过程快速、高度可逆，并在重复 (>200) 循环中保持优异的性能。这些液晶纤维阵列可以与人类或其他物体安全接触，使其非常适合智能可穿戴设备和沉浸式界面中的应用。