Reconfigurable, Multi-Material, Voxel-Based Soft Robots

Voxel-based robots are aggregations of soft and simple building blocks that have been extensively evolved simulated to perform various tasks, like walking, jumping or swimming. However, real-life voxel-based rather scarce because their challenging design assembly. With the current materials assembling methods, interfaces between multi-material voxels prone failure. This work proposes make out reversible Diels-Alder polymers, which available in a broad range mechanical properties. By doing so, covalent bonds at interface ensure strong chemical connections, while allowing for reconfiguration. A first gripper is thus robustly assembled, then disassembled, using its pieces (voxels) reassembling another robot, i.e. walking robot. reconfigurable property allows iterative validation fine-tuning simulations parameters sustainable economical way. Both physical show similar behaviors as with root-mean-square errors down 10.4%.