Shaping smart materials into autonomous motion.
A light-powered soft ring stores energy by twisting, then launches as its rigid tail snaps against the ground. It resets in midair for continuous leaping, with geometry and mass distribution tuning its motion across slopes, hurdles, and diverse natural terrains.
Powered by constant infrared light, a soft twisted ring converts self-flipping into movement along suspended threads. It navigates complex three-dimensional tracks, climbs slopes up to 80°, and carries loads over 12 times its own weight.
A twisted liquid crystal elastomer ring with a built-in defect couples flipping, spinning, and orbiting under constant heat or light. Its geometry programs autonomous motion, enabling the robot to trace the boundaries of unknown confined spaces and detect boundary damage.