Impulsive actuation for soft robots

Abstract

Impulsive actuation is unlocking new possibilities for soft robots: launching or catching ballistic objects, jumping over high obstacles, pumping long-awaited artificial hearts, and so on. In this review, we summarize the efforts to achieve impulsive actuation, including direct, fast-responsive actuation methods and power amplification mechanisms. Potential applications of impulsive soft robots are presented, and with the combined efforts of multiple disciplines, they can be expected to achieve more ambitious leaps.