No Gears, No Problem: A New Robot Can Jump and Land on Its Feet

Traditional jumping robots typically operate in a linear sequence: they must stabilize, accumulate energy, and then propel themselves. A new soft-robotic design collapses this cycle into a single structural component, eliminating the need for a separate "reset" or recharging phase between movements. The mechanism relies on a teardrop-shaped strip made of liquid crystal elastomer, tipped with a V-shaped aluminum tube. When exposed to infrared light, the strip's surface contracts, inducing a rotational force. Because the rigid aluminum "leg" prevents the strip from simply rolling, the device twists tighter, storing potential energy like a compressed spring. This energy releases in a fraction of a second, snapping the V-shaped tip against the surface and launching the robot upward or forward. Once the energy is spent, the strip naturally returns to its original form, remaining ready for the next jump as long as the light source is present. The trajectory of the movement is determined by a single geometric variable: the angle of the V-shaped tip. At 120°, the robot crawls; at 90°, it performs long jumps; and at 50°, it launches vertically. This sensitivity means that small structural adjustments fundamentally change the locomotive behavior. Stability and power can be further tuned by adding a small weight to the center of mass, while the intensity of the infrared light acts as a throttle—too little fails to trigger the jump, while too much results in chaotic movement.