3D Printed Biomimetic Soft Robot with Multimodal Locomotion and Multifunctionality

Area of Science:

• Robotics
• Materials Science
• Additive Manufacturing

Background:

• Soft robots offer advantages in compliance and safety over rigid robots.
• Designing soft robots with multimodal locomotion and multifunctionality for dynamic environments remains a significant challenge.
• Current manufacturing methods limit the complexity and functionality of soft robots.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel 3D-printed soft robot with spatially varied material compositions and multiscale hierarchical surface structures.
• To develop an additive manufacturing process for fabricating robots with engineered flexibility and preprogrammed functionality.
• To demonstrate the robot's untethered multimodal locomotion and multifunctionality in harsh and congested environments.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a soft robot using magnetic-field-assisted projection stereolithography (M-SL).
• Incorporation of spatially varied material compositions (0–50% particle-polymer weight ratio).
• Design of multiscale hierarchical surface structures (10 nm to 70 μm features) on robot footpads.

Main Results:

• The robot exhibits untethered magnetic actuation with superior multimodal locomotion.
• Demonstrated load carrying (up to ~30x own weight) and obstacle removal (up to 6.5x own weight) in confined spaces.
• Footpads with multiscale structures enabled hydrophobic properties, hairy adhesion, and robust navigation in wet environments.

Conclusions:

• The developed M-SL process enables direct digital manufacturing of complex, multimaterial, multiscale soft robots.
• The engineered soft robot demonstrates versatile behaviors and capabilities for diverse real-life applications.
• This approach facilitates the creation of advanced soft robots for navigating challenging environments and performing complex tasks.