A robot sheet made of muscles penetrates the narrowest openings.

It is as thin as paper and moves like living tissue. This robot sheet glides through the narrowest openings, bends, and even crawls like a miniature creature, capable of working where conventional machines are powerless.

In the journal Nature Communications , researchers from Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) presented a unique sheet robot created based on the principle of myosin, a motor protein in muscles. This development combines the flexibility of biological tissues with the power of pneumatic drives, opening the way to new possibilities in medicine, industry, and consumer technology.

Most modern robots are made of rigid metal parts, which limits their use in confined spaces and when working with fragile objects. Flexible systems are necessary for complex operations, such as inspecting equipment or cleaning pipes, as well as for minimally invasive surgical procedures. It was this task that the POSTECH team set out to solve, inspired by the movement of human muscles.

The scientists replicated the principle of myosin, a protein that generates force through a series of small, repetitive contractions. Based on this idea, they created a thin pneumatic actuator resembling a sheet. It consists of a multilayer structure with a network of microscopic air channels. With a steady supply of air, the robot moves in stages, accumulating small amounts of force until it achieves significant movement.

This actuator can bend and move in six directions—up, down, left, right, and rotate. In experiments, the robot demonstrated high precision and even the ability to crawl across surfaces like a caterpillar. It successfully manipulated small objects, passed through narrow spaces, and even worked underwater, making it suitable for use in surgery and challenging industrial environments.

The flexible RSA attaches to a camera and can move in different directions inside a narrow pipe to inspect and remove obstacles. Source: Nature Communications

In addition, the researchers developed a mathematical model to predict the robot’s movements. This will allow for the creation of new versions of the technology and expand its capabilities, including the use of sheet robots for precision pipeline cleaning, assisting surgeons, and even household tasks.

Professor Kihun Kim emphasized that the key breakthrough of the work lies in the integration of a complex three-dimensional pneumatic network into a thin and flexible structure. He is confident that in the future, such robots will be able to work alongside humans, facilitating tasks ranging from medicine to industrial production.

If robots are already capable of moving like living organisms, it is not surprising that some of them are trying their hand at human activities.