Somatosensory, Untethered Soft Robotic Muscles

Biological muscles possess somatosensory function that allows them to not only sense environmental stimuli but also produce responsive deformations according to changes in environmental stimuli. However, such function is largely absent for existing synthetic soft robotic muscles. Here, we present somatosensory untethered soft robotic muscles (SUSRMs) that seamlessly integrate proprioception of external stimuli and actuation of the muscle, enabling closed-loop control of somatosensory actuation. SUSRMs have leveraged the change of current arising from magnetic coupling in eddy current induction to achieve somatosensory function, and employed eddy current induction heating to enable programmable and spatiotemporal actuations. Based on SUSRMs, we demonstrate spatially programmable multidirectional catapult and logic circuit switches capable of temporally programmable sequential switching or environmentally adaptive control, the closed-loop controlled soft robot that can autonomously navigate remotely transmitting internal images in real time, and transport cargo in enclosed environments. Through a multifield-coupling control strategy, we also demonstrate a customizable multifunctional crab-shaped soft robot that enables multiterrain locomotion, carrying and releasing cargo, repairing circuits, and sensing the environment in enclosed spaces. Our design, based on the principle of eddy current induction, offers a versatile strategy to create advanced somatosensory and untethered soft robotic muscles.