Foldable Soft Robot Achieved High-Speed Locomotion
Researchers developed a magnetically actuated soft robot capable of nine distinct movement modes within constrained spaces.
Updated on Sept. 21, 2026 in Robotics
Live Poll
Do you believe soft robotics will lead to safer medical procedures in the future?
Engineers have developed a foldable, six-spoke soft robot that utilizes liquid metal channels to navigate complex environments. This research-stage device can reduce its volume by 79% for deployment and is designed for potential use in the human gastrointestinal tract.
Why it matters
This technology addresses the challenge of navigating small, constrained biological spaces by combining high-speed movement with the ability to compress significantly. Its multi-modal capabilities represent a shift toward adaptable, minimally invasive tools for future biomedical tasks.
The robot reaches a rolling speed of 26 body lengths per second and executes mode transitions in under 0.35 seconds. Movement is driven by Laplace forces applied to embedded liquid metal channels under a static magnetic field.
The details
The device features a six-spoke elastomer — a stretchable, rubber-like material — body that acts as an integrated chassis. By applying an external magnetic field, the robot generates Laplace forces — physical forces exerted on conductive elements in a magnetic field — that manipulate the liquid metal channels to induce folding or locomotion. This design enables nine distinct movement patterns, including rolling, crawling, jumping, and swimming, allowing it to navigate the varied terrain of a porcine gastric environment.
Timeline
September 21, 2026: The research article describing the robot was published.
The Tech Race
This development follows a trajectory toward increasingly capable, miniaturized systems for internal medical procedures. It improves upon earlier prototypes by enabling high-speed, multi-modal movement within the constrained confines of the human gastrointestinal tract.
This system remains in the research phase and is not currently available for clinical use. It will likely first be adopted by specialized medical research teams to investigate minimally invasive, internal navigation for diagnostic and therapeutic workflows.
The takeaway
The study demonstrates that soft robotics can combine high-speed navigation with significant volume reduction, a critical requirement for internal medical procedures. Observers should track future biocompatibility testing and the integration of diagnostic sensors into these magnetic locomotion platforms.
Further reading
For more on the current state of autonomous internal medical devices, visit the Robotics section.
More information
View the complete peer-reviewed research article for full technical specifications.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Nature.
Live Poll
Do you believe soft robotics will lead to safer medical procedures in the future?
