Subterranean Locomotion of Half-Inch Diameter Soft Earthworm Robot with Bellows Segments

Moving through the ground with a soft robot is a difficult task. Soft locomotion can move without damaging the environment, such as tree roots, but even in just a few centimeters of soil, high friction and resistance forces occur. Differences in soil topography and moisture content also affect the motion. We therefore developed a small, bellows-shaped earthworm robot with an outer diameter of 12 mm. The robot consists of silicone rubber and shape memory alloy wire, and the inside of the bellows is filled with air. When electric current is applied to the shape memory alloy wire, the convex part of the bellows contracts and stretches in the axial direction, generating a force for movement. When no current is applied, it is used as an anchoring segment. We have experimented with 16 different patterns of soil topography and moisture content, and succeeded in realizing soft-robotic subterranean locomotion.