Programming multiconfiguration into bistable robots via traversable energy landscapes

Abstract Soft robots using bistable structures often face limitations due to a fixed energy landscape, which restricts their configurational adaptability and functional diversity. To address this challenge, we introduce an energy-landscape-traversing (ELTra) bistable structure that enables on-demand reconstruction of the energy landscape, continuous stabilization of intermediate states, and precise modulation of energy release, capabilities that are challenging to achieve with conventional systems. Based on the established theoretical model of the ELTra bistable structure, we developed an ELTraBot prototype that features four distinct configurations, including two intermediate-stable configurations absent in traditional bistable structures. We further demonstrated the ELTraBot’s remarkable versatility, allowing it to perform nine distinct functions by leveraging its reconfigurable states. This design reduces the need for complex dedicated hardware and significantly simplifies design. Our work establishes a new design method for multifunctional, reconfigurable robots by advancing beyond binary bistability into the realm of continuously programmable materials.