Self-Growing and Serpentine Locomotion of Liquid Metal Induced by Copper Ions

The realization of serpentine locomotion has been a core goal pursued. Here, a straightforward approach was discovered to generate the serpentine locomotion based on a brand-new phenomenon observed on liquid metal (Ga₆₇In₂₁Sn₁₂). The dynamic process that liquid metal can automatically produce and move like tremendous slim snakes was revealed and the underlying mechanisms were clarified and interpreted. It was found that the self-growing serpentine locomotion of liquid metal is driven by the localized surface pressure difference related to the unbalanced surface tension. The present work offers new insight and forms in developing future autonomous soft systems and bionic multifunctional robots.