Researchers at the University of Oxford have developed a new approach in soft robotics, enabling robots to synchronize their movements through mechanical interaction with their environment. This innovation allows robots made from flexible materials to coordinate actions without relying on electronic circuits or computer programming.
Soft robots are valued for their ability to handle delicate objects and navigate uneven terrain. Traditionally, controlling such robots requires complex sensing and programming systems. The Oxford team addressed this by creating modular components powered by air pressure that can act as actuators, sensors, or valves depending on configuration. These building blocks can be connected in various ways to form different types of robots without altering the underlying hardware.
Dr Mostafa Mousa from the Department of Engineering Science at the University of Oxford explained that "just as fireflies can begin flashing in unison after watching one another, the robot’s air-powered limbs also fall into rhythm, but in this case through physical contact with the ground rather than visual cues. This emergent behaviour has previously been observed in nature, and this new study represents a major step forward towards programmable, self-intelligent robots."
In experiments, tabletop-sized robots built from these modules were able to hop, shake, or crawl. When several units were linked together and placed on a surface, they synchronized their movements automatically once constant air pressure was applied—without any external control systems.
The researchers demonstrated practical applications such as a shaker robot capable of sorting beads by tilting a platform and a crawler robot that could sense table edges and stop itself from falling. All coordination occurred mechanically via interactions with the environment.
Professor Antonio Forte, co-author and lead of RADLab at Oxford’s Department of Engineering Science said: "Encoding decision-making and behaviour directly into the robot’s physical structure could lead to adaptive, responsive machines that don’t need software to ‘think.’ It is a shift from ‘robots with brains’ to ‘robots that are their own brains.’ That makes them faster, more efficient, and potentially better at interacting with unpredictable environments."
The research used mathematical models like the Kuramoto model to explain how coordinated motion emerges when robotic limbs interact through shared forces transmitted via friction and compression with the ground.
While current prototypes are small-scale, researchers believe these design principles could apply to larger systems suited for use in challenging environments where energy efficiency and adaptability are important.
The findings appear in Advanced Materials under the title "Multifunctional Fluidic Units for Emergent, Responsive Robotic Behaviors." For further details or content republishing inquiries, readers are directed to contact [email protected]