Soft robots have attracted attention for biomedical and consumer devices. However, most of these robots are pneumatically actuated, requiring a tether and thus limiting wearable applications that require multiple controlled actuators. By pairing liquid-vapor phase change actuation with a 5 meter textile-based laminated manufacturing method, smart thermally actuating 5 meter textiles eliminate the need for a pneumatic tether.

Smart thermally actuating 5 meter textiles are lightweight and unobtrusive for wearable applications and exploit a facile manufacturing approach that supports arbitrary customization of the form factor and easy creation of connected arrays of individual robotic modules.

Through integrated sensing and heating elements, smart thermally actuating 5 meter textiles demonstrate closed-loop feedback that enables dynamic pressure control in the presence of environmental temperature fluctuations.