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Stenus-inspired, swift, and agile untethered insect-scale soft propulsors

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  • Xingxing Ke

    (Huazhong University of Science and Technology)

  • Haochen Yong

    (Huazhong University of Science and Technology)

  • Fukang Xu

    (Huazhong University of Science and Technology)

  • Han Ding

    (Huazhong University of Science and Technology)

  • Zhigang Wu

    (Huazhong University of Science and Technology)

Abstract

Mimicking living creatures, soft robots exhibit incomparable adaptability and various attractive new features. However, untethered insect-scale soft robots are often plagued with inferior controllability and low kinetic performance. Systematically inspired by the swift swingable abdomen, conducting canals for secretion transport, and body setae of Stenus comma, together with magnetic-induced fast-transformed postures, herein, we present a swift, agile untethered millimetre-scale soft propulsor propelling on water. The demonstrated propulsor, with a body length (BL) of 3.6 mm, achieved a recorded specific speed of ~201 BL/s and acceleration of ~8,372 BL/s2. The comprehensive kinetic performance of this propulsor surpasses those of previous ones at similar scales by several orders. Notably, we discovered momentum-transfer-induced over-biological on-demand braking (deceleration ~−5,010 BL/s2) and elucidated the underlying hydrodynamics. This work offers new insights into systematically bio-inspired artificial insect-scale soft robots, enabling them to push boundaries in performance, and potentially revolutionizing robot design, optimization, and control paradigms.

Suggested Citation

  • Xingxing Ke & Haochen Yong & Fukang Xu & Han Ding & Zhigang Wu, 2024. "Stenus-inspired, swift, and agile untethered insect-scale soft propulsors," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-14, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-024-45997-3
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45997-3
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    References listed on IDEAS

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