PuffyBot: An Untethered Shape Morphing Robot for Multi-environment Locomotion
Shashwat Singh, Zilin Si, Zeynep Temel

TL;DR
PuffyBot is a versatile, untethered shape-morphing robot inspired by amphibians, capable of transitioning between terrestrial and aquatic locomotion modes through a novel mechanism and buoyancy control.
Contribution
This work introduces PuffyBot, a novel untethered robot with shape morphing capabilities for multi-environment locomotion, combining a scissor-lift mechanism with waterproof design.
Findings
Demonstrated crawling and swimming in multiple environments
Achieved volume change from 255 to 424 cm3 for buoyancy control
Operates untethered for two hours with onboard battery
Abstract
Amphibians adapt their morphologies and motions to accommodate movement in both terrestrial and aquatic environments. Inspired by these biological features, we present PuffyBot, an untethered shape morphing robot capable of changing its body morphology to navigate multiple environments. Our robot design leverages a scissor-lift mechanism driven by a linear actuator as its primary structure to achieve shape morphing. The transformation enables a volume change from 255.00 cm3 to 423.75 cm3, modulating the buoyant force to counteract a downward force of 3.237 N due to 330 g mass of the robot. A bell-crank linkage is integrated with the scissor-lift mechanism, which adjusts the servo-actuated limbs by 90 degrees, allowing a seamless transition between crawling and swimming modes. The robot is fully waterproof, using thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) fabric to ensure functionality in aquatic…
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Taxonomy
TopicsSoft Robotics and Applications · Biomimetic flight and propulsion mechanisms · Robotic Locomotion and Control
