Integrating deformation technology with visualization technology: A new roadmap for the future of smart actuator

Actuators based on smart materials could produce mechanical deformation when they are stimulated by the external environment are widely used in the fields of bionic robots, wearable devices and biomedical devices etc. At present, most actuators can only produce a single deformation function, but it is foreseeable that through the integration of visualization technology, the actuators will have broader application prospects. Some studies in recent years have shown that the integration of deformation and visualization technology could provide a strong impetus for the further development of deformation technology. However, the current review on smart actuators mainly summarizes research work with a single deformation function, a systematic review about the integration of deformation and visualization technology is relatively lacking. In this review, the deformation technology and its integration with visualization technology in recent years are systematically summarized, including color-changing technology, luminescence (electroluminescence and fluorescence) technology, etc. Then, the integration modes and design principles of different types of actuators are mainly discussed. Finally, the currently existing problems and future development trends in this research field are summarized and prospected.