Research progress of energy and actuation technology for micro-soft robots

Micro-soft robots with high compliance, low energy consumption and high energy density have wide application prospects in complex environments such as pipeline maintenance and battle field reconnaissance. Energy and actuator play a decisive role in the motion modes and performances of micro-soft robots. In order to make more researchers understand the research progresses of the existing flexible driving technology and their energy sources, the typical driving methods based on physical energy driving, chemical energy driving and biological hybrid driving were summarized and analyzed. The shortcomings and future development of the existing flexible driving technology and their energy sources were discussed and summarized, which can provide reference for the development and improving performance of the flexible drive technology of soft robots in the future.