A Kresling origami-enabled soft robot toward autonomous obstacle avoidance and wall-climbing

Abstract

In recent years, soft robotics has rapidly emerged as a prominent research topic, unlocking new possibilities for addressing real-world challenges. However, enabling soft robots to achieve autonomous motion in confined spaces remains a significant hurdle. To address this, we propose a highly integrated soft robot capable of wall-climbing transitional motion and tactile perception in narrow spaces, equipped with closed-loop sensing and control capabilities. The robot's mechanical structure leverages the ingenious design of the Kresling origami architecture combined with flexible materials, enabling smooth transitional movements from flat-surface crawling to various angles ranging from 0° to 90° within a confined 2 cm space. Furthermore, by in-situ integrating a highly sensitive and flexible planar capacitive contact sensor at the robot's tip, it can rapidly detect and respond to obstacles. This customized sensor exhibits an impressive response time and maintains durability over 1000 cycles. The real-time sensing data is fed back to the controller, facilitating closed-loop obstacle avoidance and autonomous motion. This innovative design, combining advanced mechanical architecture with a closed-loop sensing strategy, provides a promising pathway for developing soft robots capable of autonomous operation in constrained and dynamic environments.