A flexible thermal management method for high-power chips in humanoid robots

Soft materials are essential for the development of humanoid robots. However, the high thermal resistance of the flexible skin hinders efficient heat dissipation from internal chips, limiting the onboard data processing power. Our study proposes a cooling strategy that integrates a flexible substrate with embedded microfluidic cooling, aiming to enhance the cooling efficiency of chips within a humanoid robot while maintaining compatibility with flexible environments. The strategy exhibits a low junction-to-ambient thermal resistance (0.089 cm²K/W) and introduces only 5% of the stress on the chip as conventional packaging methods. Application verification of the mechanical arm and robot demonstrates that effective and stable cooling can be consistently maintained even during frequent stretching and bending movements. The strategy offers a solution to the issue of blocked chip heat dissipation paths caused by skin coverage in humanoid robots.