A Female‐Locust‐Inspired Hybrid Soft‐Stiff Robotic Digger: Mimetics and Implications for Digging Efficiency

Female desert locusts ( Schistocerca gregaria ) excavate a narrow, deep burrow to deposit their eggs safely underground. By selecting an optimal site, guided by environmental cues and conditions, they maximize the survival probability of their offspring. Unlike conventional digging methods that involve removing soil, the locust forms a burrow by compressing the soil against the surrounding walls. The biomechanics of this unique behavior have been previously investigated. Here, the burrowing dynamics and 3D kinematics are further explored, focusing on the flexible, extendable abdomen of females and the trajectory of the digging valves. Inspired by these biological insights, a hybrid soft‐stiff robotic system is designed and developed to mimic the locust's digging mechanism and abdomen flexibility. Using this locust‐inspired robot, the study investigates whether the female locust's digging method confers an energetic advantage compared to alternative digging patterns. The findings reveal that the locust's burrowing technique enables efficient movement through granular material, and that deviating from her digging pattern can increase energy costs by up to 2.4‐fold and reduce the digging volume. This study highlights how robotic systems, modeled on biological processes, can both address fundamental biological questions and advance the development of innovative tools for excavation in granular environments and beyond.