Design and Motion Analysis of a Gecko-inspired Highly Mobile Crawling Soft Robot

doi:10.3901/JME.260451

Abstract

Abstract: Aiming at the limitations in mobility and obstacle-crossing capability of traditional soft mobile robots, this work proposes a bio-inspired soft robot design strategy based on a multi-chamber wheel-legged structure, inspired by the gait of geckos. Silicone rubber hyper-elastic pneumatic muscles are employed to construct a four-chamber actuator structure. By integrating the wheel-legged mechanism with passive unidirectional rotation characteristics and the actuator, and adopting a gecko-like gait for motion control, the bending motion of the actuator is transformed into various crawling gaits of the robot. Through single or combined gaits, the robot achieves straight-line movement, steering, and obstacle crossing, demonstrating enhanced mobility. Furthermore, based on the principle of moment balance, a model correlating pneumatic muscle pressure with the robot’s bending angle and step length is established to precisely control the robot’s traversal through confined spaces, inclined surfaces, trenches, steps, and other diverse obstacles. Experimental results indicate that the designed robot achieves a maximum forward speed of 115 mm/s (0.605 BL/s), a minimum turning radius of 235 mm (1.24 BL), and a vertical obstacle-crossing height of 20 mm, demonstrating excellent overall performance. The robot shows promising application potential in extreme environments such as disaster rescue and narrow gap detection.

Key words: pneumatic actuators, soft robot, multimodal movement, wheel-leg structure, obstacle negotiation

CLC Number:

TP242

ZHAO Chun, LIU Songjiaming, WU Chengjian, SUN Mengen, TANG Gangqiang, WANG Yanjie. Design and Motion Analysis of a Gecko-inspired Highly Mobile Crawling Soft Robot[J]. Journal of Mechanical Engineering, 2026, 62(13): 77-86.

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URL: http://www.cjmenet.com.cn/EN/10.3901/JME.260451

http://www.cjmenet.com.cn/EN/Y2026/V62/I13/77

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