Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 23, 2025

Manufacturing, Control, and Performance Evaluation of a Gecko-Inspired Soft Robot
07:40

Manufacturing, Control, and Performance Evaluation of a Gecko-Inspired Soft Robot

Published on: June 10, 2020

14.8K

Single-Actuator Soft Robot for In-Pipe Crawling.

Ying Lin1, Yi-Xian Xu1, Jia-Yang Juang1,2

  • 1Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.

Soft Robotics
|May 11, 2022
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Targeted suppression of CCR7/NF-κB signaling by apoptotic body-inspired colchicine nanovesicles halts atherosclerotic progression.

Journal of nanobiotechnology·2025
Same author

Bioinspired untethered electromagnetic pipe-crawling robot.

Bioinspiration & biomimetics·2025
Same author

A comprehensive review of dexterous robotic hands: design, implementation, and evaluation.

Bioinspiration & biomimetics·2025
Same author

Enhancing the Versatility and Performance of Soft Robotic Grippers, Hands, and Crawling Robots Through Three-Dimensional-Printed Multifunctional Buckling Joints.

Soft robotics·2024
Same author

A global database of bird nest traits.

Scientific data·2023
Same author

Analysis of Hazy Ga- and Zr-Co-Doped Zinc Oxide Films Prepared with Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Jet Systems.

Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland)·2023
Same journal

Dynamic-Based Path Planning and Locomotion of Tensegrity Robots Considering Environmental Interaction.

Soft robotics·2026
Same journal

A Soft Magnetic Jamming Method Enabling Variable Stiffness and Active Steering for Robotic Catheter.

Soft robotics·2026
Same journal

Research on the Design of Variable Stiffness Adhesive Feet and Cooperative Crawling Mechanism for Soft Bionic Gecko-Inspired Wall-Climbing Robots.

Soft robotics·2026
Same journal

Bioinspired Swallowing Soft Gripper with Toroidal Optical Waveguides for Multimodal Interactive Perception.

Soft robotics·2026
Same journal

Plant-Inspired Elastic-Hydraulic Tactile Sensing Enables Quantitative Stiffness Estimation in Soft Robots.

Soft robotics·2026
Same journal

Ultrastable Soft Capacitive Tactile Sensor with Impedance-Modulated Signal.

Soft robotics·2026
See all related articles

This study introduces a novel single-actuator soft robot for pipe inspection. It uses buckling elastic ribbons and artificial muscles to achieve robust crawling in various pipe conditions with simplified control.

Area of Science:

  • Robotics
  • Materials Science
  • Mechanical Engineering

Background:

  • Pipe leakage causes significant economic and safety issues.
  • Existing in-pipe soft robots often require complex multi-segment designs and independent actuators.
  • There is a need for more compact and easily controlled soft robots for pipe inspection and maintenance.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a compact, single-actuator soft robot with enhanced crawling capabilities for pipe inspection.
  • To leverage nonlinear buckling of elastic ribbons and artificial muscles for improved locomotion.
  • To demonstrate robust performance in diverse and challenging pipe environments.

Main Methods:

  • Designed a prototype soft robot integrating a McKibben pneumatic actuator with three 3D-printed elastic ribbons.
Keywords:
McKibben artificial musclesbuckleelastic ribbonspipe crawlingsoft actuatorsoft robots

More Related Videos

Design and Fabrication of an Elastomeric Unit for Soft Modular Robots in Minimally Invasive Surgery
11:06

Design and Fabrication of an Elastomeric Unit for Soft Modular Robots in Minimally Invasive Surgery

Published on: November 14, 2015

9.0K
Fabrication of Soft Pneumatic Network Actuators with Oblique Chambers
07:09

Fabrication of Soft Pneumatic Network Actuators with Oblique Chambers

Published on: August 17, 2018

9.2K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Sep 23, 2025

Manufacturing, Control, and Performance Evaluation of a Gecko-Inspired Soft Robot
07:40

Manufacturing, Control, and Performance Evaluation of a Gecko-Inspired Soft Robot

Published on: June 10, 2020

14.8K
Design and Fabrication of an Elastomeric Unit for Soft Modular Robots in Minimally Invasive Surgery
11:06

Design and Fabrication of an Elastomeric Unit for Soft Modular Robots in Minimally Invasive Surgery

Published on: November 14, 2015

9.0K
Fabrication of Soft Pneumatic Network Actuators with Oblique Chambers
07:09

Fabrication of Soft Pneumatic Network Actuators with Oblique Chambers

Published on: August 17, 2018

9.2K
  • Utilized the nonlinear buckling of elastic ribbons induced by actuator inflation for locomotion.
  • Implemented a simple open-loop on/off control strategy for robot operation.
  • Investigated the robot's anisotropic friction properties when buckled.

    • Main Results:

    • The robot demonstrated strong anisotropic friction, enabling directional crawling.
    • Achieved robust locomotion in horizontal, vertical, bent, and wet pipes (partially or fully water-filled).
    • Showcased adaptability to pipes with varying diameters.
    • Successfully operated using a single actuator with simple on/off control.

    Conclusions:

    • The developed single-actuator soft robot offers a simplified and highly effective solution for in-pipe inspection and maintenance.
    • The innovative use of elastic ribbon buckling significantly enhances crawling performance and adaptability.
    • The robot's design holds high potential for various scaled applications due to its structural and control simplicity.