Photothermal pneumatic wheel with high loadbearing capacity

Abstract Light-driven gravity-defying rotating devices are promising in many fields, but their applications are limited by low loadbearing capacity, induced stress and produced deformation. Here, we report fabrication of a photothermal pneumatic wheel (PPW) by combining several photothermal pneumatic fluidic devices, which was driven by photoinduced gravity moment. Light energy was firstly transferred into thermal energy of air, and the produced air pressure resulted in a gravity center shift to rotate the PPW. By carefully designing and manipulating the photothermal pneumatic actuating behaviors, a loadbearing of 16.6 g and self-sustained rotation were achieved. Various shapes and materials are suitable for the PPW, providing a platform for robotics, biomimetics and energy conversion.