Alterable Robotic Somatosensation: Material Gene, Variability Modulation, and Embodied Applications

ABSTRACT Robotic somatosensory systems perceive their own states and interact with the external world, enabling stable and flexible operation in complex unstructured environments. The rise of soft materials has provided a life‐like mechanism for material transformation, redefining the interaction paradigm of sensor systems beyond mere information display. Building on this shift, the programmable and stimulus‐responsive features of soft materials are increasingly being understood as material genes that govern the expression and recombination of structures and functions. This material‐gene‐driven variability allows robotic systems to perform adaptive regulation, self‐repair, and structural reconfiguration in response to environmental stimuli. Against this background, this study revisits recent advances in the life behaviors of robots, with a particular focus on the creation and dynamic transformation mechanisms of functional materials in somatosensory systems. First, the constitution of robotic tactile systems is discussed, emphasizing their sensing principles, parameter requirements, and material implementation strategies. Subsequently, we systematically review the main somatosensory materials and their functional transformation mechanisms to establish a unified engineering framework for life form transformation. Finally, we explore how the intrinsic responsiveness of materials supports coevolution among homogeneous components and coordination across heterogeneous interfaces, paving the way for embodied, alterable somatosensation in next‐generation soft robots.