An integrated modular platform of pneumatic actuators for adaptive and reusable soft robots

This study presents a modular pneumatic actuator system for soft robotics, designed to improve reconfigurability, adaptability, and deployment efficiency. The system consists of a standardized and extensible set of functional modules, including elongation, bending, twisting, and stimuli-responsive modules, each systematically characterized by its pressure–deformation behavior. These modules can be (re)assembled according to task-specific requirements, enabling the rapid construction of soft robotic platforms with customized actuation strategies. We demonstrate the versatility of this approach through three representative systems: a bioinspired trunk-like robot, a soft crawling robot, and a reconfigurable three-fingered gripper. Each example highlights key advantages of modularity, such as structural adaptability, environmental responsiveness, and object-specific grasping. The results show that this strategy supports scalable, low-cost, and reusable actuator designs.