Design, Fabrication, and Characterization of a Novel Crawling Pneumatic Soft Robot

Soft robots have shown great application potential in human–computer interaction, scientific exploration, and biomedical fields. However, they generally face issues like poor load capacity. Inspired by the propagation and movement mechanisms of ocean waves, this study proposes a novel type of pneumatically driven crawling soft robot. An automated pneumatic drive system was first constructed for driving and controlling the crawling soft robot, and then the soft robot body was made using additive manufacturing and silicone molding. Experimental testing of the robot’s performance revealed that it can move efficiently on surfaces with varying friction coefficients and has a strong load-bearing capacity. This work is expected to provide a reference for the design of other soft robots.