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This paper briefly introduces the current situation of soft robots. Then, through the analysis of the current situation, it is concluded that there are two bottlenecks for soft robots, which are material bottleneck and performance bottleneck. In terms of materials, a usable soft robot often requires multiple tasks at the same time, but soft robots lack materials that can meet the needs of multiple tasks at present. In terms of performance, soft robots are different from traditional robots. Soft robots have unlimited degrees of freedom, which will lead to the CPU processing a large amount of data. Therefore, this paper proposes to introduce the concept of robot group into soft robots and solve the problems existing in soft robots by using the characteristics of low CPU and low individual strength requirements of robot groups.

Mobile organisms with ability for locomotion and transportation, such as humans and other animals, utilize orchestrated actuation to perform actions. Mimicking these functionalities in synthetic, light‐responsive untethered soft‐bodied devices remains a challenge. Inspired by multitasking and mobile biological systems, an untethered soft transporter robot with controlled multidirectional locomotion with the ability of picking up, transporting, and delivering cargo driven entirely by blue light is created. The soft robot design is an ensemble of light‐responsive liquid crystalline polymers that can harness motion either collectively or individually to obtain a high degree of motion control for the execution of advanced tasks in a dry environment. Through orchestrated motion of the device's “legs”, single displacement strides, which exceed 4 mm and can be taken in any direction, allow for locomotion around objects. Untethered cargo transportation is demonstrated by a pickup and release mechanism using the device's “arms”. This strategy demonstrates the constructive harnessing of orchestrated motion in assemblies of established actuators, performing complex functions, mimicking constructive behavior seen in nature. Soft robotic devices strive to mimic the multidirectional locomotion and transportation performed by living creatures. Here, an untethered polymer device is shown to achieve macroscopic functions including grasping, carrying, walking, and releasing of objects performed and controlled solely with light. The functions are completed through constructive orchestrated motion of multiple liquid crystalline actuators that compose the soft robotic device.

With the growing demand for miniaturized workspaces, the demand for microrobots has been increasing in robotics research. Compared to traditional rigid robots, soft robots have better robustness and safety. With a flexible structure, soft robots can undergo large deformations and achieve a variety of motion states. Researchers are working to design and fabricate flexible robots based on biomimetic principles, using magnetic fields for cable-free actuation. In this study, we propose an inchworm-shaped soft robot driven by a magnetic field. First, a robot is designed and fabricated and force analysis is performed. Then, factors affecting the soft robot’s motion speed are examined, including the spacing between the magnets and the strength and frequency of the magnetic field. On this basis, the motion characteristics of the robot in different shapes are explored, and its motion modes such as climbing are experimentally investigated. The results show that the motion of the robot can be controlled in a two-dimensional plane, and its movement speed can be controlled by adjusting the strength of the magnetic field and other factors. Our proposed soft robot is expected to find extensive applications in various fields.

Soft robots claim the architecture of actuators, sensors, and computation demands with their soft bodies by obtaining fast responses and adapting to the environment. Sensory-motor coordination is one of the main design principles utilized for soft robots because it allows the capability to sense and actuate mutually in the environment, thereby achieving rapid response performance. This work intends to study the response for a system that presents coupled actuation and sensing functions simultaneously and is integrated in an arbitrary elastic structure with ionic conduction elements, called as soft sensory-motor system based on ionic solution (SSMS-IS). This study provides a comparative analysis of the performance of SSMS-IS prototypes with three diverse designs: toroidal, semi-toroidal, and rectangular geometries, based on a series of performance experiments, such as sensitivity, drift, and durability. The design with the best performance was the rectangular SSMS-IS using silicon rubber RPRO20 for both internal and external pressures applied in the system. Moreover, this work explores the performance of a bioinspired soft robot using rectangular SSMS-IS elements integrated in its body. Further, it investigated the feasibility of the robot to adapt its morphology online for environment variability, responding to external stimuli from the environment with different levels of stiffness and damping.

Recent advances in functionally graded additive manufacturing (FGAM) technology have enabled the seamless hybridization of multiple functionalities in a single structure. Soft robotics can become one of the largest beneficiaries of these advances, through the design of a facile four-dimensional (4D) FGAM process that can grant an intelligent stimuli-responsive mechanical functionality to the printed objects. Herein, we present a simple binder jetting approach for the 4D printing of functionally graded porous multi-materials (FGMM) by introducing rationally designed graded multiphase feeder beds. Compositionally graded cross-linking agents gradually form stable porous network structures within aqueous polymer particles, enabling programmable hygroscopic deformation without complex mechanical designs. Furthermore, a systematic bed design incorporating additional functional agents enables a multi-stimuli-responsive and untethered soft robot with stark stimulus selectivity. The biodegradability of the proposed 4D-printed soft robot further ensures the sustainability of our approach, with immediate degradation rates of 96.6% within 72 h. The proposed 4D printing concept for FGMMs can create new opportunities for intelligent and sustainable additive manufacturing in soft robotics. The binder jetting method for the 4D printing of soft robots has been developed. Compositionally graded cross-linking agents gradually form stable porous network structures that enable programmable hygroscopic deformation. A multi-stimuli-responsive and untethered soft robot with stark stimulus selectivity has been developed using the systematic bed design incorporating additional functional agents. The biodegradability of the soft robot has been confirmed with degradation rates of 96.6% within 72 h.

Microrobots and nanorobots have been produced with various nature-inspired soft materials and operating mechanisms. However, freely operating a wirelessly miniaturized soft robot remains a challenge. In this study, a wireless crawling compact soft robot using induction heating was developed. The magnetic composite heater built into the robot was heated wirelessly via induction heating, causing a phase change in the working fluid surrounding the heater. The pressure generated from the evaporated fluid induces the bending of the robot, which is composed of elastomers. During one cycle of bending by heating and shrinking by cooling, the difference in the frictional force between the two legs of the robot causes it to move forward. This robot moved 7240 μm, representing 103% of its body length, over nine repetitions. Because the robot’s surface is made of biocompatible materials, it offers new possibilities for a soft exploratory microrobot that can be used inside a living body or in a narrow pipe.

Soft robotics has developed rapidly in recent years as an emergent research topic, offering new avenues for various industrial and biomedical settings. Despite these advancements, its applicability is limited to locomotion and actuation due to the lack of an adequate charge storage system that can support the robot's sensory system in challenging conditions. Herein, an ultra‐flexible, lightweight (≈50 milligrams), and wirelessly rechargeable micro‐supercapacitor as an onboard power source for miniaturized soft robots, capable of powering a range of sensory is proposed. The simple and scalable direct laser combustion technique is utilized to fabricate the robust graphene‐like carbon micro‐supercapacitor (GLC‐MSC) electrode. The GLC‐MSC demonstrates superior areal capacitance (8.76 mF cm −2 ), and maintains its original capacitance even under extreme actuation frequency (1–30 Hz). As proof of conceptthe authors fabricate a fully integrated magnetic‐soft robot that shows outstanding locomotion aptitude and charged wirelessly (up to 2.4 V within 25s), making it an ideal onboard power source for soft robotics.

Untethered magnetic soft robots capable of performing adaptive locomotion and shape reconfiguration open up possibilities for various applications owing to their flexibility. However, magnetic soft robots are typically composed of soft materials with fixed modulus, making them unable to exert or withstand substantial forces, which limits the exploration of their new functionalities. Here, water‐induced, shape‐locking magnetic robots with magnetically controlled shape change and water‐induced shape‐locking are introduced. The water‐induced phase separation enables these robots to undergo a modulus transition from 1.78 MPa in the dry state to 410 MPa after hydration. Moreover, the body material's inherent self‐healing property enables the direct assembly of morphing structures and magnetic soft robots with complicated structures and magnetization profiles. These robots can be delivered through magnetic actuation and perform programmed tasks including supporting, blocking, and grasping by on‐demand deformation and subsequent water‐induced stiffening. Moreover, a water‐stiffening magnetic stent is developed, and its precise delivery and water‐induced shape‐locking are demonstrated in a vascular phantom. The combination of untethered delivery, on‐demand shape change, and water‐induced stiffening properties makes the proposed magnetic robots promising for biomedical applications. This work presents the design, fabrication, and application of magnetic soft robots capable of shape locking through water‐induced phase separation. The robots’ modulus transitions from 1.78 to 410 MPa upon hydration. The flexibility in the dry state and rigidity in the wet state enable the delivery, reconfiguration, and deployment of these robots for various applications.

The advancement of soft multi-digital grippers with both adaptive grasping and in-hand manipulation capabilities remains a challenging issue for the development of human-like dexterous manipulation. Despite four decades of research, the most advanced grippers remain encumbered by excessive complexity and a lack of robustness. The field of soft robotics presents a promising avenue for reducing the level of complexity and enhancing the safety of grasping and interaction with the environment. This work presents a methodology for the design and control of a soft finger, with the objective of ultimately developing a highly dexterous gripper. To address these challenges, it is essential to master the design, fabrication process, and behavior of the finger’s soft material. The iterative design and fabrication process requires a comprehensive understanding of the theoretical and experimental aspects, as detailed in this paper. Given that the finger is constructed from silicone, the proposed methodology and outcomes demonstrate the importance of accounting for the Mullins effect and conducting finger training prior to controlling the pneumatic soft finger. The proposed hard real-time control architecture guarantees the robustness of the analysis and control of the finger’s behavior, while also offering perspectives for coordinated multi-fingered manipulation.

The integrated handling of dynamic and static targets remains a formidable challenge for soft grippers. Although cross‐modal grippers combine active and passive modes, they are constrained by inherent conflicts among precision, speed and strength, leading to bidirectional performance degradation. Here, inspired by principles of predation, we propose a strategy to decouple cross‐modal grasping via dual morphological configurations. Guided by this strategy, we develop rigid‐soft fingers and metamaterial palms. Through coordinated morphological synergy, we achieve optimization and fractal utilization of different grasping mechanisms. In the parallel configuration, the gripper employs an active compliant contact grasping mechanism. The cage configuration employs a soft constraint mechanism for the passive capture paradigm, combining spatial confinement and energy dissipation. Experiments demonstrate enhanced bidirectional grasping of static and dynamic targets, including multi‐object storage and transfer, and uncooperative targets capture. This work achieves system‐level optimization of grasping modes and multivariate abilities, opening new avenues for soft gripper paradigms.