The combustion actuation method opens a unique pathway for high-performance soft robots, allowing for high accelerations in multifunctional applications. Along with multifunctionality come great challenges in effective robot structure design, accurate control and prediction of combustion-actuated motions, and practical implementation of various applications. However, research in this nascent field remains fragmented, lacking central guiding principles. To systematize these works, this review article summarizes state-of-the-art technologies in combustion-actuated soft robots, addressing three key questions: How to design a combustion-enabled soft robot? How to predict its movements and control it? and How to practically apply it.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
JiaoP, ZhangH, HongL, et al.Piezo-Wormbots for Continuous Crawling. Soft Robot, 2023; 11(2):260–269.
2.
NiuH, FengR, XieY, et al.Magworm: A biomimetic magnet embedded worm-like soft robot. Soft Robot, 2021; 8(5):507–518.
3.
XieZ, DomelAG, AnN, et al.Octopus arm-inspired tapered soft actuators with suckers for improved grasping. Soft Robot, 2020; 7(5):639–648.
4.
XieZ, YuanF, LiuJ, et al.Octopus-inspired sensorized soft arm for environmental interaction. Sci Robot, 2023; 8(84):eadh7852.
5.
ThuruthelTG, ShihB, LaschiC, et al.Soft robot perception using embedded soft sensors and recurrent neural networks. Sci Robot, 2019; 4(26):eaav1488.
6.
LiuY, ChenB, LiW, et al.Bioinspired triboelectric soft robot driven by mechanical energy. Adv Funct Materials, 2021; 31(38):2104770.
7.
YoshidaK, TomonariS, YoshiokaH, et al.High energy density miniature electrical and thermal power source using catalytic combustion of butane. IEEE: 2004.
8.
AubinCA, HeisserRH, PeretzO, et al.Powerful, soft combustion actuators for insect-scale robots. Science, 2023; 381(6663):1212–1217.
9.
BartlettNW, TolleyMT, OverveldeJT, et al.A 3D-printed, functionally graded soft robot powered by combustion. Science, 2015; 349(6244):161–165.
10.
HeZ, YangY, JiaoP, et al.Copebot: Underwater soft robot with copepod-like locomotion. Soft Robot, 2023; 10(2):314–325.
11.
ShepherdRF, StokesAA, FreakeJ, et al.Using explosions to power a soft robot. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl, 2013; 52(10):2892–2896.
12.
YangY, HeZ, LinG, et al.Large deformation mechanics of the thrust performances generated by combustion-enabled soft actuators. International Journal of Mechanical Sciences, 2022; 229:107513.
13.
LinG, YangY, HeZ, et al.Hydrodynamic optimization in high-acceleration underwater motions using added-mass coefficient. Ocean Engineering, 2022; 263:112274.
14.
WangH, YangY, LinG, et al.Untethered, high-speed soft jumpers enabled by combustion for motions through multiphase environments. Smart Mater Struct, 2020; 30(1):15035.
15.
YangY, HouB, ChenJ, et al.High-speed soft actuators based on combustion-enabled transient driving method (TDM). Extreme Mechanics Letters, 2020; 37:100731.
GodabaH, LiJ, WangY, et al.A soft jellyfish robot driven by a dielectric elastomer actuator. IEEE Robot Autom Lett, 2016; 1(2):624–631.
29.
ChenZ, UmTI, Bart-SmithH. A novel fabrication of ionic polymer–metal composite membrane actuator capable of 3-dimensional kinematic motions. Sensors and Actuators A: Physical, 2011; 168(1):131–139.
30.
SugiyamaY, HiraiS. Crawling and jumping by a deformable robot. The International Journal of Robotics Research, 2006; 25(5-6):603–620.
31.
WangZ, WangY, LiJ, et al.A micro biomimetic manta ray robot fish actuated by SMA. IEEE: 2009.
32.
VillanuevaA, SmithC, PriyaS. A biomimetic robotic jellyfish (Robojelly) actuated by shape memory alloy composite actuators. Bioinspir Biomim, 2011; 6(3):36004.
33.
TakemuraR, AkiyamaY, HoshinoT, et al.Chemical switching of jellyfish-shaped micro robot consisting only of cardiomyocyte gel. IEEE: 2011.
34.
MaedaS, HaraY, YoshidaR, et al.Self-oscillating gel actuator for chemical robotics. Advanced Robotics, 2008; 22(12):1329–1342.
35.
ChenY, WanF, WuT, et al.Soft-rigid interaction mechanism towards a lobster-inspired hybrid actuator. J Micromech Microeng, 2017; 28(1):14007.
36.
KadiyamJ, MohanS. Conceptual design of a hybrid propulsion underwater robotic vehicle with different propulsion systems for ocean observations. Ocean Engineering, 2019; 182:112–125.
37.
LiH, GoG, KoSY, et al.Magnetic actuated pH-responsive hydrogel-based soft micro-robot for targeted drug delivery. Smart Mater Struct, 2016; 25(2):27001.
38.
LeeH, XiaC, FangNX. First jump of microgel; actuation speed enhancement by elastic instability. Soft Matter, 2010; 6(18):4342–4345.
39.
BanerjeeH, SuhailM, RenH. Hydrogel actuators and sensors for biomedical soft robots: Brief overview with impending challenges. Biomimetics, 2018; 3(3):15.
40.
ChengY, HuangC, YangD, et al.Bilayer hydrogel mixed composites that respond to multiple stimuli for environmental sensing and underwater actuation. J Mater Chem B, 2018; 6(48):8170–8179.
41.
ToneT, SuzukiK. An automated liquid manipulation by using a ferrofluid-based robotic sheet. IEEE Robot Autom Lett, 2018; 3(4):2814–2821.
42.
Mohd SaidM, YunasJ, BaisB, et al.The design, fabrication, and testing of an electromagnetic micropump with a matrix-patterned magnetic polymer composite actuator membrane. Micromachines (Basel), 2017; 9(1):13.
43.
SchmidtAM. Electromagnetic activation of shape memory polymer networks containing magnetic nanoparticles. Macromol Rapid Commun, 2006; 27(14):1168–1172.
44.
McCoulD, RossetS, BesseN, et al.Multifunctional shape memory electrodes for dielectric elastomer actuators enabling high holding force and low-voltage multisegment addressing. Smart Mater Struct, 2016; 26(2):25015.
45.
SadeghzadehA, AsuaE, FeuchtwangerJ, et al.Ferromagnetic shape memory alloy actuator enabled for nanometric position control using hysteresis compensation. Sensors and Actuators A: Physical, 2012; 182:122–129.
46.
GossweilerGR, BrownCL, HewageGB, et al.Mechanochemically active soft robots. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces, 2015; 7(40):22431–22435.
47.
ChangY-C, KimW-J. Aquatic ionic-polymer-metal-composite insectile robot with multi-DOF legs. IEEE/ASME Trans Mechatron, 2013; 18(2):547–555.
48.
ZhaoJ, ZhangJ, McCoulD, et al.A soft biomimetic module of elephant trunk driven by dielectric elastomers. IEEE: 2018.
49.
BaniasadiM, YaraliE, BodaghiM, et al.Constitutive modeling of multi-stimuli-responsive shape memory polymers with multi-functional capabilities. International Journal of Mechanical Sciences, 2021; 192:106082.
50.
JinH, DongE, AliciG, et al.A starfish robot based on soft and smart modular structure (SMS) actuated by SMA wires. Bioinspir Biomim, 2016; 11(5):56012.
51.
SongS-H, KimM-S, RodrigueH, et al.Turtle mimetic soft robot with two swimming gaits. Bioinspir Biomim, 2016; 11(3):36010.
52.
LinH-T, LeiskGG, TrimmerB. GoQBot: A caterpillar-inspired soft-bodied rolling robot. Bioinspir Biomim, 2011; 6(2):26007.
53.
NajemJ, LeoDJ. A bio-inspired bell kinematics design of a jellyfish robot using ionic polymer metal composites actuators. SPIE: 2012.
54.
HigashiK, MikiN. A self-swimming microbial robot using microfabricated nanofibrous hydrogel. Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, 2014; 202:301–306.
55.
ZhouH, CaoS, ZhangS, et al.Design of a fuel explosion-based chameleon-like soft robot aided by the comprehensive dynamic model. Cyborg Bionic Syst, 2023; 4:10.
56.
YangY, LouY, LinG, et al.Hydrodynamics of high-speed robots driven by the combustion-enabled transient driving method. J Zhejiang Univ Sci A, 2022; 23(10):820–831; doi: 10.1631/jzus.A2200331
ChanWL, KangT. Simultaneous determination of drag coefficient and added mass. IEEE J Oceanic Eng, 2011; 36(3):422–430.
59.
GhassemiH, YariE. The Added Mass Coefficient computation of sphere, ellipsoid and marine propellers using Boundary Element Method. Polish Maritime Research, 2011; 18(1):17–26.
60.
ZuffereyR, AncelAO, FarinhaA, et al.Consecutive aquatic jump-gliding with water-reactive fuel. Sci Robot, 2019; 4(34):eaax7330.
61.
HasegawaA, KodamaY. Signal transmission by optical solitons in monomode fiber. Proc IEEE, 1981; 69(9):1145–1150.
62.
BlidbergDR. The development of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV); A brief summary. 2001.
63.
YangY, LaiJ, XuC, et al.Lightweight Pneumatically Elastic Backbone Structure with Modular Construction and Nonlinear Interaction for Soft Actuators. Soft Robot, 2023; 11(1):57–69.
64.
LaschiC. Octobot-a robot octopus points the way to soft robotics. IEEE Spectr, 2017; 54(3):38–43.
65.
DaiH, WongEW, LieberCM. Probing electrical transport in nanomaterials: Conductivity of individual carbon nanotubes. Science, 1996; 272(5261):523–526.
66.
CaitiA, CalabròV. Control-oriented modelling of a hybrid AUV. IEEE: 2010.
67.
ZhangL, JiangDP, HuangSL, et al.Research on motion control of AUV with hybrid actuators. Amm, 2013; 341-342:906–912.
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
