FURI | Summer 2021

Enabling Horizontal Burrowing of a Multi-Segment Soft Robot

The objective of the research is to design a horizontal self-burrowing soft robot. Previous research has shown that inducing forward horizontal burrowing involves breaking the time-reversal symmetry of the robot and strategically manipulating the surrounding soil. A successful design is to include multiple segments that each plays a role in the overall movement. This includes one or more anchoring segments and a single section with extension only or extension and bending capabilities.