A lightweight fabric-based adhesive winding actuator with high load capacity for slender rod-climbing robots

Slender rod-climbing robots require end-effectors that are lightweight, capable of supporting large axial loads, and able to switch reliably between attachment and detachment during cyclic locomotion. However, existing soft coiling actuators struggle to balance three-dimensional (3D) winding capability, load-bearing performance, structural lightweighting, and controllable release. Herein, we present a fabric-based adhesive winding actuator (FAWA) inspired by biological adhesion–coiling mechanisms. The actuator integrates a wrinkle-guided pleated chamber, constraining-layer bladder, and biomimetic dry adhesive interface within a lightweight fabric pneumatic architecture. This coupled design enables 3D helical winding around rod-like objects while simultaneously supporting adhesive load transfer and release regulation. Experimental results showed that the actuator weighs approximately 2 g and can sustain axial loads exceeding 1,000 times its own weight (> 2 kg) at 50 kPa. It achieved effective adhesive winding on rods over a practical diameter range, with the best performance observed at diameters of 10-12 mm. When integrated into a 430 g rod-climbing robot, the actuator enabled stable climbing on inclined slender rods without external tethered support. These results demonstrate a lightweight robot-oriented actuator design that addresses the coupled requirements of winding generation, load-bearing attachment, and controllable release for slender rod-climbing applications.