Tiny soft robot hits high speeds with magnetic actuation

A centimeter-scale soft robot has demonstrated unexpectedly high speeds, according to analyses from New Scientist that highlight how a tiny machine can exhibit rapid, controllable motion within a flexible body. In practical terms, this miniature device can cover its own length in tens of seconds, a performance that, when scaled to the robot’s size, rivals the pace of many larger animals. To capture the fast movements accurately, researchers invested in a specialized high-speed camera, underscoring the demanding frame rates required to study rapid actuation in soft robotics. The mechanism uses a rubber-like material formed into an inverted U with metal wires threaded through its structure. When electrical currents travel through these wires, interactions with the surrounding magnetic field produce precise, repeatable bending and propulsion. The development team envisions applications in medicine where a magnetically driven soft robot could deliver pharmaceuticals or perform delicate interventions inside the human body, aiming to minimize tissue disruption and trauma. Finding an effective leg design was a lengthy, iterative process, but the resulting configuration enables traversal across a range of flat surfaces such as rubber, wood, and paper. Beyond walking, the device can run, execute circular turns, swim, leap over small obstacles, and carry lightweight cargo. Current battery life sits around thirty minutes, with ongoing work to extend runtime as the design progresses. In Linz, researchers continued refining control strategies to boost stability and versatility, seeking to broaden the robot’s task range in real-world environments and to enhance reliability in potential medical and industrial settings. This line of work emphasizes how soft robotics blends material science with precision actuation, offering a glimpse into future capabilities where small devices operate with agile, controllable movement in complex settings. The researchers stress that ongoing improvements in sensing, feedback control, and power efficiency will be essential for translating these fast, flexible machines from lab demonstrations to real-world use, including potential autonomous operation and safer tissue-compatible interactions in medical contexts. — New Scientist