Status of and trends in soft pneumatic robotics

Soft robots are receiving increasing attention and have great potential in the fields of health care, education, service, rescue, exploration, detection, and wearable devices owing to their inherent high flexibility, good compliance, excellent adaptability, and safe interactivity. Soft pneumatic robots are a well-known type of soft robot with characteristics such as light weight, high performance, pollution-free operation, and strong environmental adaptability. In recent decades, the development of soft pneumatic robots is closely related to the application of new materials, novel designs, and new manufacturing processes. In this study, the literature review and main advances in soft pneumatic robots’ design and fabrication technology are reviewed. In addition, the trends of multifunctionalization, modularization, and the bionic design of soft pneumatic robots are analyzed and discussed. Furthermore, the problems and challenges associated with soft pneumatic robots’ system reliability, air supply, and motion control are analyzed. Finally, the future development outlook and significance of soft pneumatic robots are summarized.