A soft microrobot with highly deformable 3D actuators for climbing and transitioning complex surfaces

Area of Science:

• Robotics
• Materials Science
• Soft Matter Physics

Background:

• Soft climbing microrobots are promising for exploring complex environments.
• Existing microrobots struggle with climbing diverse surfaces and transitioning between them.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop voltage-driven soft microrobots capable of climbing various surfaces and transitioning between them.
• To create actuators with active stiffness adjustment and morphable footpads.

Main Methods:

• Utilized programmed strain in liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) and buckling-driven assembly for 3D shape morphing.
• Developed morphable electroadhesive footpads and stiffness-variable smart joints.
• Integrated components into a deformable body for multigait locomotion.

Main Results:

• Achieved voltage-driven 3D-to-3D shape morphing (>200° bending) at millimeter scales.
• Demonstrated climbing on diverse surfaces (flat, curved, grooved) and transitioning between two surfaces.
• Showcased microrobot capabilities including barrier traversal and survival of extreme compression.

Conclusions:

• The developed soft microrobot exhibits unprecedented mobility on varied surfaces and inter-surface transitions.
• This technology advances soft robotics for challenging exploration and monitoring tasks.