Light-driven soft robot achieves autonomous continuous leaping
andrew_n_carr · x · 2026-09-01
Researchers demonstrate a millimeter-scale self-resetting soft ring that achieves autonomous continuous leaping under uniform infrared light. Made of liquid crystal elastomer and a rigid tail, the robot twists under light to store energy and snaps to jump. By tuning geometric asymmetry, it transitions between crawling, directional leaping, and vertical jumps exceeding 80 body heights.
More from Embodied
- Open Source Project: Distill openpilot to Train Custom Autonomous Driving Models — yassineyousfi_ · 2026-09-01
- China scales cheap humanoid bodies first, letting intelligence catch up later — VraserX · 2026-09-01
- NUS MAGIC Lab recruiting: Focusing on Embodied AI research — DJiafei · 2026-09-01
- Why Microduck is Winning: Cuteness Overload and Sim2real Tech — RachelVT42 · 2026-09-01
- Seeking recs: What are the most underrated AI-native hardware gadgets? — thisiskp_ · 2026-09-01
- ICE to use Boston Dynamics robot dogs in operations — r_singh · 2026-09-01