Octobot

The Octobot is the world's first entirely soft, autonomous robot, inspired by octopuses and developed as a proof-of-concept for soft robotics at Harvard's Wyss Institute. It features no rigid components or electronics, powered by a chemical reaction where hydrogen peroxide decomposes into gas via a microfluidic logic circuit that acts as a soft oscillator to control gas flow for pneumatic actuation. Fabricated using 3D printing, soft lithography, and molding, it demonstrates integrated design for fuel storage, power, and actuation in a compact octopus-like body with inflatable arms. Primarily for research in soft robotics, it showcases potential for future crawling, swimming, and environmental interaction in delicate manipulation tasks like lab handling or biomedical applications, advancing untethered soft machines