Miniature soft robots capable of multiform and multimodal Locomotion

Untethered microscale robots, capable of navigating through constrained spaces, offer immense potential for complex tasks like targeted drug delivery, micromanipulation, and environmental sensing, thanks to their diminutive size and wireless operation. However, traditional microscale robots, constructed from rigid materials, are limited by a scarcity of actuated degrees of freedom, making it challenging to support multiple modes of locomotion in complex environments. This paper introduces two types of microscale soft robots, controlled by magnetic fields, designed to circumvent the limitations of their rigid counterparts and enable a diverse array of movement patterns. We explore the shape transformations induced by magnetic fields and employ this mechanism to orchestrate the robots’ movement, enabling them to walk, roll, and swim in a manner reminiscent of jellyfish. Furthermore, we optimized the shape of the small-scale swimming robot by intentionally increasing the width of its four legs compared to traditional cross-shaped swimming robots in previous studies. By widening the four legs, our jellyfish-like soft robot can generate greater thrust in water, optimizing its swimming performance and making its swimming behavior more controllable and efficient. Ultimately, we demonstrated the ability of these designed soft robots to navigate obstacles and autonomously traverse both two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) mazes, showcasing their adaptability and control in varied settings.