Using Explosions to Power a Soft Robot

grasping and walking. Despite their advantages(simplicity of fabrication, actuation, and control; low cost;light weight), pneu-nets have the disadvantage that actuationusing them is slow, in part because the viscosity of air limitsthe rate at which the gas can be delivered through tubes to filland expand the microchannels. Herein, we demonstrate therapid actuation of pneu-nets using a chemical reaction (thecombustion of methane) to generate explosive bursts ofpressure.Althoughthecombustionofhydrocarbonsisubiquitousinthe actuation of hard systems (e.g., in the metal cylinder ofa diesel or spark-ignited engine