Multiple helical magnetic soft robots carry us closer to understanding collective behaviors

Magnetic soft robots are a promising option for contactless control in confined environments via external magnetic stimuli. Magneto-induced motions, i.e., magnetomotility, are driven by local deformation of a robot whereby particle alignments and alternating polar distributions are programmed into the body. Attempts to program magnetic anisotropy into the soft robots have been performed through direct laser printing (DLP), stereolithography (SLA) and fused filament fabrication (FDM) combined with multi-axial manipulation of electromagnets. Now, researchers have demonstrated facile preparation and actuation methods of magnetic soft robots without electromagnetic regulation. They constructed a three-dimensional helical soft robot through twisting of a two-dimensional polymer composite film.