Bleeding‐Mimetic Damage‐Detecting and Self‐Healing Modular Skin for Inflatable Structures

The extension of the lifespan of soft robots necessitates the establishment of an effective self‐healing system accompanied by rapid damage detection. Inspired by the mechanisms of bleeding and blood coagulation, a novel damage‐detecting and self‐healing modular skin is developed for inflatable structures. This alternative structural material is realized using a liquid conductive polymer composed of an elastomer, conductive particles, and a dispersant. Encapsulated in a thin layer, this conductive polymer is found to be capable of both damage detection through generating an electric current and subsequent self‐healing through its solidification in the damaged area. The repeated and reproducible generation of electric current is confirmed both prior to and subsequent to the infliction of damage to the patch. A comparison of conductive polymers with distinct mixing ratios reveals that the changes in electric current following the solidification on the patches are different. The applicability of the modular skins is confirmed by their conduciveness to assembly for various curvatures and larger areas of inflatable structures. The proposed modular skins feature an easy fabrication process, a simple chemical mechanism, and high adaptability to inflatable structures, thus displaying considerable potential for pioneering a new methodology for effective damage detection and self‐healing systems in inflatable robots.