Jellyfish‐inspired soft robots have attracted significant attention for their alternating contraction‐recoil dynamics and efficient solid‐fluid interactions. However, existing designs often suffer from mechanical coupling between locomotion modes, where a single propulsion action simultaneously induces steering and depth changes, making independent control of each mode difficult. In this work, we present a novel soft robotic jellyfish with a functionally decoupled actuation system that separates propulsion, steering, and buoyancy control into independent modules. The propulsion module utilizes pneumatic tentacles with passive valves to generate net thrust via differential drag. A dedicated lateral water‐jet system enables agile near zero‐radius rotation independent of forward speed. Furthermore, a variable buoyancy module allows for active vertical navigation without continuous power consumption. Experimental characterization demonstrates a maximum swimming speed of and a rapid turning rate of . This decoupled architecture significantly enhances the agility of soft underwater robots, providing a robust platform for complex exploration tasks.
Li et al. (Fri,) studied this question.