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Updated: Jan 18, 2026
08:24
Bioinspired Soft Robot with Incorporated Microelectrodes
Published on: February 28, 2020
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Magnetic field-enhanced vertical integration enables embodied intelligence in untethered soft robots.
Xiaosa Li1, Xiao Xiao1, Xiao Xiao2,3
1Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, P. R. China.
Science Advances
|September 10, 2025
Summary
Researchers developed flexible batteries for soft robots, improving energy management for embodied intelligence. This enables untethered aquatic robots with sensing and decision-making capabilities.
Area of Science:
- Soft robotics
- Embodied intelligence
- Flexible electronics
Background:
- Soft robots offer unique advantages in uncertain environments.
- Challenges in soft robotics include energy management and system integration for embodied intelligence.
- Magnetic fields in soft robots can degrade battery performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop deformation-resilient flexible batteries for soft robots.
- To enable untethered soft robots with enhanced sensing and autonomous decision-making.
- To improve energy management and system integration in magnetically actuated soft robots.
Main Methods:
- Developed flexible batteries with enhanced performance under magnetic fields.
- Achieved 57.3% capacity retention after 200 cycles.
- Vertically integrated batteries and flexible hybrid circuits to maintain robot deformability.
Main Results:
- Flexible batteries enabled large-area deployment (44.9%) across the robot body.
- Vertical integration minimized added stiffness while preserving deformability.
- Developed an untethered manta ray-inspired soft robot with sensing, communication, and stable power.
Conclusions:
- The developed flexible batteries and integration methods are crucial for embodied intelligence in soft robots.
- The untethered soft robot platform demonstrates autonomous capabilities in aquatic environments.
- This work advances the potential of soft robots for complex tasks in challenging environments.
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