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Crawling motion and dynamic mechanism of a dielectric elastomer-actuated double-cone crawling robot
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DOI：10.1016/j.mechatronics.2026.103510.png)
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Abstract
En 中文
Crawling soft robots, driven by soft actuators, hold great potential for tasks in confined and complex environments due to their small size, lightweight structure, and bioinspired locomotion. Dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) are suitable for simulating soft muscles because of their fast response, large deformation, and high energy efficiency. This study proposes a crawling robot that combines a double-cone dielectric elastomer actuator (DCDEA) with a dual-anchor gait mechanism. The DCDEA functions as a deformable body capable of elongation and contraction. The dual-anchor gait mechanism enables surface-adaptive locomotion through asymmetric contact forces. A dynamic model was developed to analyze the effects of material properties and external inputs, such as driving voltage and signal type, on the locomotion performance. The mechanism of bidirectional movement, resulting from varying friction forces, was also investigated. The feasibility of the robot was confirmed through experiments. At 4.8 kV, a maximum speed of 10.49 mm/s (0.52 body lengths per second) was achieved. At 5.25 kV, a load of 12.38 g, approximately 1.8 times the robot's body weight, was carried. These results demonstrate that a simplified cone-DEA architecture can achieve effective locomotion while maintaining a favourable load capacity, providing a practical pathway for lightweight and structurally efficient soft crawling robots.
Keywords:
Soft robotics
Actuators
Bioinspired locomotion
Dielectric elastomer actuator (DEA)
Asymmetric friction gait
DCDEA-based crawling robot
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