Multi‐Material Additive Manufacturing of Soft Robotic Systems: A Comprehensive Review

摘要

Soft robotics is a rapidly growing field focused on fabricating robots made primarily from soft materials that can undergo elastic deformation. Traditional methods of fabricating soft robots are often time‐consuming and labor‐intensive. However, recent advances in multi‐material additive manufacturing (MMAM) have proven to be advanced techniques for directly producing soft robotic systems with complex shapes, diverse material compositions, and integrated functionalities. This review provides a comprehensive overview of MMAM as applied to soft robotics. It discusses various methods for multi‐material deposition, outlining their capabilities and limitations. The review examines key materials, including elastomers, polymers, and composites, while addressing material compatibility and selection challenges. Additionally, the review highlights the critical role of integrating diverse material compositions and process control in developing functionally graded soft robots. It also synthesizes trends indicating the convergence of soft robotics with on‐demand, artificial intelligence‐assisted manufacturing workflows. This review provides a roadmap for optimizing the relationships between materials, processes, and properties in MMAM by offering a critical synthesis of current advancements. The aim is to guide researchers and engineers in developing the next generation of fully autonomous, multifunctional, and customizable soft robotic systems.