An Electromagnetic Soft Robot that Carries its Own Magnet

Abstract

Existing magnetically actuated soft robots require an external magnetic field to generate motion, limiting them to carefully controlled laboratory settings. Here, we introduce an electromagnetically actuated soft robot that can locomote without an external magnetic field. The robot is designed to carry its own magnet, which it alternately retracts and repels. Friction-biased feet transform this back-and-forth linear motion into forward locomotion, mimicking an earthworm gait. We demonstrate a characteristic velocity of 1.5 body lengths per second (31.3 mm/s) and actuation speeds over 150 Hz. This work paves the way for fully autonomous, untethered magnetic soft robots.