At the University of California, San Diego laboratories, a team of engineers has developed a soft robotic skin that allows small robots—moving through growth or internal inversion mechanisms—to navigate complex and fragile environments with precision and safety. This technology could open new horizons for exploring tiny structures, from inside arteries to the intricate corridors of aircraft engines.
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The robots, extremely narrow (ranging from 3 to 7 millimeters in diameter and up to approximately 25 centimeters in length), are equipped with flexible robotic skin embedded with precise actuators made of Liquid Crystal Elastomer, strategically placed across the surface. By controlling the temperature of these actuators and the internal pressure within the robot’s body, researchers can guide the robot, negotiate corners, maintain balance, and carry a camera for internal inspection.
Smart Skin in Action
One key test involved passing a robot through a model simulating human arteries, including the complex aorta, and through very narrow gaps—sometimes smaller than half the robot’s diameter. Simultaneously, the flexible skin was tested inside an aircraft engine model, where the robot could twist and inspect the engine’s intricate geometry.
The advantage of this system lies in its high-precision control. Unlike larger robots that rely on pneumatic motors, wires, or tendons, the researchers integrated warmth, pressure, and heat directly into the robot’s skin as an internal steering mechanism. Thus, the skin functions not merely as a “cover” but as an active component of the robot’s motion system.
Performance tests showed that the robot could execute sharp angles exceeding 100 degrees along its structure, pass through narrow gaps, and cling to delicate surfaces. It is also equipped with an internal camera to capture images of internal areas in the engine model.
The biggest challenge was designing mechanical skin that is thin yet strong enough to allow movement, rotation, and repeated stretching and compression without damage. Small flexible heaters were embedded beneath the actuators to precisely control temperature for motion activation. Researchers are also working to ensure the technology can withstand fluctuations in internal pressure without compromising performance.
Future Development Prospects
Researchers aim to make the robots fully autonomous or remotely controlled and to further miniaturize them, allowing access to even smaller spaces in living organisms or industrial devices. These “everting” robots, whose internal skin gradually rolls outward, resemble vines that extend and penetrate space, capable of expanding as they move.
The team envisions applications beyond medical and industrial fields. The technology could be adapted for soft robotic arms in haptic devices, delicate grippers for handling fragile objects, or soft mobile robots in challenging environments.
What we see today is a step toward a future where precise machines can move confidently among living tissues or delicate machinery without causing damage. This smart skin is not just an additional component—it is the heart of precise motion in small robots. If efforts succeed in making the skin more efficient and independent, we may enter an era where robots, as “skin,” smaller than a human hair, can detect defects inside equipment or living tissues without leaving any trace.
