Michael Berger’s June 19, 2025 Nanowerk spotlight article focuses on a new development where soft robots are concerned, Note: A link has been removed,

The flexibility of living tissue inspires efforts to build robots that are soft, adaptive, and capable of complex movements. Creating such machines is technically demanding, especially when they must operate without physical tethers. Soft robots need materials that deform easily, actuators that respond quickly, and control methods that are both precise and lightweight. Most existing approaches fail to deliver on all three. Magnetic systems require bulky hardware. Light and heat actuation offer wireless control, but struggle with speed and complexity. Electric fields offer a promising alternative—but only if the materials can translate field stimuli into fast, large-scale movement without relying on wires or embedded circuitry.

Traditional electrically responsive gels deform slowly, limited by the movement of ions. Other systems, such as dielectric elastomer actuators, produce stronger and faster responses but rely on internal electrodes or onboard electronics that compromise their softness and range of motion. To make electric-field actuation practical for untethered soft robots, materials must respond quickly, deform extensively, and be controlled entirely from the outside. Advances in soft polymers and conductive nanomaterials have opened the door to this possibility.

A study published in Advanced Materials (“Electric Field Driven Soft Morphing Matter”) reports a material system that meets these criteria. Developed by researchers at the University of Bristol and Imperial College London, the material—called electro-morphing gel, or e-MG—combines a soft elastomer, a dielectric liquid, and paracrystalline carbon nanoparticles. When exposed to externally applied electric fields, e-MG exhibits fast, large, and reversible shape changes. These include stretching, twisting, bending, and locomotion. All movements are controlled wirelessly through low-cost external electrodes.

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Berger describes the new material, electro-morphing gel (e-MG), in more detail,

At the heart of e-MG’s performance is its material composition. The elastomer provides structural flexibility, while the dielectric liquid softens the matrix and adjusts its electrical properties. The carbon particles, just tens of nanometers wide, introduce mobile charges. When the concentration of carbon exceeds a critical level—between 0.1 and 0.5 percent by weight—these particles form continuous paths for charge transport. The result is a percolated, electrically responsive gel that deforms rapidly in response to non-uniform electric fields.

The material responds to two physical mechanisms: electrostatic and dielectrophoretic forces. Electrostatic force acts on charges within the gel, pushing it in the direction of the field. Dielectrophoretic force acts on polarized material in a gradient field, pulling it toward stronger regions. When both forces align, the effect is amplified. By varying the carbon content, the researchers could tune which mechanism dominated. Low-carbon samples relied mainly on dielectrophoresis and showed slower actuation. Higher-carbon samples displayed rapid deformation driven by both forces. A carbon loading of 0.5 percent offered the best balance of speed, strength, and fabrication reliability.

The researchers demonstrated a range of complex behaviors enabled by this material. Robots built from e-MG could stretch by nearly three times their length, rotate in place, bend around corners, and spread out across surfaces. In one test, a snail-like robot jumped over a gap using a rapid sequence of stretch and release. In another, a humanoid-shaped robot swung along a ceiling by gripping and releasing electrodes. Because e-MG is soft, the robots can deform to anchor themselves against walls or climb vertical surfaces using only field stimuli.

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To ensure practical utility, the researchers tested the material’s durability and environmental stability. After 10,000 actuation cycles, e-MG continued to perform reliably. Tests in both air and dielectric liquid confirmed consistent behavior across media. The system also remained functional in low-pressure environments designed to mimic space conditions. The use of mineral oil in some tests mimicked reduced gravity and surface friction, showing potential for extraterrestrial applications. The individual components of the material—silicone elastomer, silicone oil, and carbon nanoparticles—are all compatible with known aerospace standards.

The researchers also explored scalability. Miniature versions of the robot, over 4,000 times smaller in volume than their largest counterparts, still displayed the same range of actuation behaviors. This suggests that the material and actuation principles can be applied across different size scales. Potential uses could include navigating narrow spaces, manipulating fragile components, or performing soft contact tasks in confined environments.

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By combining a soft, responsive material with remote electrical control, the e-MG system overcomes key limitations of previous wireless soft robotics. It removes the need for internal circuitry, expands the range of deformation patterns, and enables precise actuation using lightweight external components. Its demonstrated ability to morph, grip, and move through contactless stimulation provides a flexible foundation for new robotic platforms. These could be used in biomedical procedures, industrial inspection, or space exploration—where low weight, high adaptability, and remote control are essential.

Berger’s June 19, 2025 Nanowerk spotlight article has more detail and an embedded video of the soft morphing robots, “This video showcases the versatility of electro-morphing gel (e-MG) robots without internal wiring and controlled by external electric fields. A jelly-like humanoid swings across a ceiling using agile limb movements. A snail-inspired robot jumps across a gap by stretching and contracting its soft body. Another robot navigates a narrow channel, anchoring itself to walls to push a cargo ball forward. These demonstrations highlight the adaptability and wireless control of e-MG systems in diverse tasks.“

Here’s a link to and a citation for the paper,

Electric Field Driven Soft Morphing Matter by Ciqun Xu, Charl F. J. Faul, Majid Taghavi, Jonathan Rossiter. Advanced Materials DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202419077 First published: 12 June 2025

This paper is open access.