A Multimode Soft Robot Based on a Single Braided Tube

Soft robots with multimode locomotion possess great application potential across various engineering fields due to their exceptional motion flexibility and environmental adaptability. Conventional approaches achieve multiple locomotion modes by designing a primary structure capable of different movements and then employing a series of actuators to drive each motion. Alternatively, soft robots made of stimuli‐responsive materials usually take the shape of a thin sheet and generate different motions by modulating the external stimuli. This study presents a multimode soft robot based on a single braided tube composed of shape memory alloy wires set at distinct initial configurations. By strategically actuating different wires, the braided tube realizes axial contraction, elongation, and bending. A theoretical model is developed to analyze the underlying deformation mechanisms and to establish a quantitative relationship between the design parameters and the deformation, which is validated by experiments. Building on this, three types of braided soft robots, a crawling robot, a rolling robot, and a multimode robot capable of straight crawling, left/right turning, inchworm crawling, and rolling, are designed and actuated without additional actuators. The proposed structure–actuation integrated design approach provides a new way of developing highly integrated, multifunctional soft robots with enhanced adaptability and performance.