UK Scientists Develop Shape-Shifting Soft Jelly Robot That Moves With Electric Fields | Video

Last Updated:February 07, 2026, 14:36 IST

University of Bristol researcher Ciqun Xu said the robot’s body itself acts as the moving mechanism when electricity is applied around it.

Scientists in Britain have designed a soft, jelly-like robot that can change its shape and move without motors or joints. Instead, it responds to external electric fields, allowing scientists to control its movement from a distance.

The development is seen as an important step toward flexible robots that can work in places where rigid machines often fail — such as tight spaces, fragile environments or unknown terrain.

Explaining how the technology works, University of Bristol researcher Ciqun Xu said the robot’s body itself acts as the moving mechanism when electricity is applied around it.

“By building an electric field around it can generate stretching, bending, twisting, different types of deformation, locomotion."

In simple terms, the robot doesn’t walk like traditional machines — its entire body reshapes to move.

Xu added that this ability could make the robot useful for exploration tasks, especially in areas that are unsafe or difficult for humans to enter, because it can be guided remotely.

“It can do like environmental exploration like we send the robots in an unexplored environment and use that electric field externally, remotely to control, to move around this area to explore the environment."

Researchers believe such electro-morphing soft robots could one day assist in disaster zones, delicate inspections, and scientific exploration where adaptability matters more than strength.

News world UK Scientists Develop Shape-Shifting Soft Jelly Robot That Moves With Electric Fields | Video

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