Nature's Blueprint in Bioinspired Materials for Robotics

TLDR

Soft robotics, which employs flexible, deformable materials, is revolutionizing traditional rigid‑robotics and expanding applications, while bioinspired materials emulate biological structures to further advance the field. This review surveys bioinspired materials in soft robotics, examining their applications, challenges, and future research directions. The authors categorize soft robots by the primary abilities and habitats of the organisms they mimic and showcase real‑world applications of these systems. The review’s novel classification and comprehensive analysis provide insights that could transform industries and enhance quality of life.

Abstract

Abstract Soft robotics, an emerging field that focuses on the development of robots utilizing soft, flexible, and deformable materials, is revolutionizing traditional robotics (reliant on rigid materials and motors) and broadening its range of applications and potential uses. In addition, by emulating the structure, function, and characteristics of biological systems, bioinspired materials are facilitating significant progress in a diverse array of soft robotic applications. This review offers an overview of bioinspired materials employed in soft robotics, exploring their potential applications, challenges, and future research directions. For an intuitive understanding, soft robots based on the primary abilities required and the habitats (terrestrial, aquatic, aerial) of the animals and plants they mimic are categorized. Furthermore, real‐world applications of developed soft robots in everyday human life are presented. The novel category classification and comprehensive analysis presented in this review provide insights into the development of soft robotic systems with the potential to transform various industries and enhance quality of life.