Terrestrial Soft Mobile Robots: A Review

TL;DR

This review comprehensively covers the current state of wheelless terrestrial soft mobile robots, highlighting recent developments, challenges, and future research directions in locomotion, actuation, modeling, and control systems.

Contribution

It provides a detailed synthesis of existing research on soft mobile robots, emphasizing locomotion strategies and identifying key challenges for future adoption.

Findings

Summarizes recent advancements in soft mobile robot locomotion

Identifies critical challenges for widespread application

Provides a resource for researchers and practitioners

Abstract

Soft mobile robots have emerged as a promising area of research with potential applications in various disciplines including but not limited to search-and-rescue, service, surveillance, explorations, and manufacturing. In this article, we provide a comprehensive review of the current state of soft mobile robot research, focusing on wheelless terrestrial locomotive systems. We include past and present developments in locomotion strategies, actuation methods, modeling approaches, and control systems. Further, we identify key research challenges that must be overcome to enable the widespread adoption of soft mobile robots in various applications. Overall, this article provides a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners interested in the field of soft mobile robots and soft robotics.