Bio‑Inspired Wireless Actuation and Soft Robotics

Dear Colleagues,

Soft robotics has revolutionized the way we approach machine interaction, offering unprecedented adaptability, safety, and dexterity compared to traditional rigid systems. By drawing inspiration from nature, bio-inspired soft robots hold immense potential for applications ranging from minimally invasive biomedicine and delicate manipulation to environmental monitoring in unstructured environments. However, a persistent challenge in unlocking their full autonomy and potential lies in untethering these systems. Conventional actuation methods often rely on bulky fluidic, pneumatic, or electrical tethers for power and control, fundamentally restricting mobility and limiting their real-world applicability.

The integration of wireless actuation with bio-inspired soft robotics represents a critical frontier in addressing this limitation. Recent advancements in materials science, electromagnetics, acoustics, and smart composites are paving the way for novel, untethered actuation mechanisms. Coupled with the rapid rise of artificial intelligence and advanced control algorithms, there is a timely and significant opportunity to develop fully autonomous, highly responsive, and intelligent soft robotic systems. This transition is not only crucial for pushing the boundaries of academic exploration but also essential for translating soft robotics into practical, deployable technologies across multiple industries.

This Special Issue aims to present and disseminate the most recent advances related to the intersection of bio-inspired design, wireless systems, and soft robotics. We consider contributions addressing the development of new wireless actuation methods, the design of untethered soft robots, and the intelligent control architectures that govern them.

Topics of interest for publication include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Novel Wireless Actuation Mechanisms: Advancements in magnetic, acoustic, optical, thermal, and RF-based actuation for soft robots.
• Design and Fabrication: New forms, architectures, and manufacturing methods for untethered, bio-inspired soft robotic systems.
• Intelligent Control Systems: Advanced modeling, closed-loop control, and navigation strategies for wireless soft actuation.
• AI-Based Methodologies: Machine learning and AI-driven approaches for the design, optimization, and operation of wireless soft robots.
• Materials Integration: Smart materials, stimuli-responsive polymers, and metamaterials tailored for better utilization of wireless actuation.
• Applications and Deployments: Practical implementations of wireless soft robots in biomedicine (e.g., targeted drug delivery, surgical tools), exploration, and human–robot
• Power and Energy Systems: Innovations in wireless power transfer and onboard energy harvesting specifically designed for soft robotic form factors.

Dr. Yiwen Song
Dr. Christofer J. Clemente
Guest Editors

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