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Manufacturing, Control, and Performance Evaluation of a Gecko-Inspired Soft Robot
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SPARC: A Soft, Proprioceptive, Agile Robot for 3D Climbing and Exploration with Precise Trajectory Following.
Weicheng Fan1, Jiaqi Wang2, Hongjian Zhang1
1State Key Laboratory of Mechanical Systems and Vibration, and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Digital Manufacturing for Thin-Walled Structures, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
Advanced Science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)
|September 14, 2025
Summary
This study presents SPARC, a soft, proprioceptive, agile robot for 3D terrain exploration. SPARC achieves precise trajectory following on diverse surfaces, enabling seamless transitions and heavy payload carrying.
Area of Science:
- Robotics
- Soft Robotics
- Origami Engineering
Background:
- Soft robots offer advantages for 3D terrain exploration due to compliance and adaptability.
- Current soft robots face challenges in precise trajectory tracking and seamless surface transitions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce SPARC (Soft, Proprioceptive, Agile Robot) for precise 3D climbing and exploration.
- To demonstrate SPARC's capability for accurate trajectory following on varied surfaces.
Main Methods:
- SPARC utilizes three parallel 3D-printed Kresling origami actuators with suction cups for actuation and adhesion.
- Proprioception is achieved via inverse kinematics modeling leveraging Kresling structure coupling.
- A dual closed-loop control strategy with online path planning enables precise pose control.
Main Results:
- SPARC achieves high trajectory following accuracy (0.5% horizontal, 3% vertical).
- The robot can carry payloads over twice its weight (500 g) on vertical climbs.
- Connecting two SPARC modules facilitates smooth ground-to-wall transitions.
Conclusions:
- SPARC integrates 3D actuation, proprioception, and path planning for precise 3D terrain navigation.
- The developed soft robot demonstrates significant advancements in soft robotics for exploration tasks.
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