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Kinked Air Channel Enables Retraction of Small-Scale Soft Everting Robots.
Sukjun Kim1, Tania K Morimoto1
1Sukjun Kim and Tania K. Morimoto are with the department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USA.
IEEE International Conference on Soft Robotics. IEEE International Conference on Soft Robotics
|January 22, 2026
Summary
This study introduces a novel retraction mechanism for millimeter-scale soft everting robots using a kinked air channel. This innovation allows for controlled retraction in complex environments, overcoming limitations of existing methods.
Area of Science:
- Robotics
- Materials Science
- Mechanical Engineering
Background:
- Soft everting robots offer minimal environmental interaction and enable navigation through complex paths.
- Existing retraction methods are often limited to larger scales and require rigid components, hindering miniaturization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a novel retraction mechanism for millimeter-scale soft everting robots.
- To enable buckling-free retraction using a kinked air channel for enhanced maneuverability.
Main Methods:
- Designed a retraction mechanism featuring a kinked air channel attached to the robot body.
- Developed and validated a model by characterizing robot behavior at various scales.
- Studied the effectiveness of the kinked air channel for achieving retraction.
Main Results:
- Successfully demonstrated buckling-free retraction in millimeter-scale soft everting robots.
- The kinked air channel effectively blocks airflow, enabling pressure-driven retraction at the tip.
- Validated the retraction mechanism's performance in challenging environments.
Conclusions:
- The kinked air channel provides an effective retraction strategy for small-scale soft everting robots.
- This mechanism overcomes limitations of previous retraction methods, enabling versatile applications.
- Highlights the advantages of small size and softness for robotic retraction.
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