SPARC robot, short for “Soft, Proprioceptive, Agile Robot for 3D Climbing"

[Administrator]

Developers:

University of Michigan and Shanghai Jiao Tong University

soft.robotics.umich.edu/projects

Assistant Professor in Robotics Department at University of Michigan - Xiaonan Sean (Sean) Huang

 

[Administrator]

Soft origami robot inch-worms its way up walls

Sep 24, 2025

Researchers at the University of Michigan and Shanghai Jiao Tong University have developed a soft robot that can crawl along a flat path and climb up vertical surfaces using its unique origami structure. The robot can move with an accuracy typically seen only in rigid robots.

The SPARC robot, short for “Soft, Proprioceptive, Agile Robot for 3D Climbing”, gets around by using three pneumatic actuators based on Kresling origami patterns. These geometric structures, like a twisted accordion, fold predictably under vacuum pressure. Because of this predictability, the team uses the natural twisting motion to accurately determine the robot's body shape without external sensors.