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The Innovation Materials > 2026 Vol. 4 > No. 1 > 100192
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Click Beetle-inspired wood robot for high-frequency continuous jumping

  • 1.

    Key Laboratory of Bio-based Material Science & Technology (Ministry of Education), Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China

  • 2.

    College of Computer Science and Engineering, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China

  • 3.

    Heilongjiang Key Laboratory of Complex Traits and Protein Machines in Organisms, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China

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  • Corresponding author: wtgan@nefu.edu.cn
  • Received Date:  October 02, 2025
    Accepted Date:  January 05, 2026
    Published Online:  January 14, 2026
The Innovation Materials  4(1),  https://doi.org/10.59717/j.xinn-mater.2026.100192  |  Cite this article
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    1. Inspired by click beetles, the magnetic wood jumping robot (J-robot) realizes efficient energy release.

      The J-robot retains the mechanical advantages of wood, enabling continuous high-frequency jumping.

      Magnetic drive enables the J-robot achieves high-frequency jumps and precise directional control.

      J-robot can perform directional obstacle avoidance with high motion controllability in complex environments.

    • ABSTRACT
  • Achieving continuous jumping in soft robots significantly enhances their movement efficiency. Inspired by the jumping mechanism of click beetles, we present a magnetically controlled wooden jumping robot (J-robot) constructed from delignified wood decorated with polydopamine-modified NdFeB microparticles. The mechanically robust wood structure serves as an effective elastic energy reservoir, while the incorporated NdFeB microparticles enable instantaneous magnetic activation within the composite system. A customized magnetization process programs the J-robot into “arch bridge” and “U-shaped” configurations, facilitating rapid conversion of stored elastic energy into kinetic energy via magnetic field switching. This design allows the J-robot to yield a jump initiation time of 0.1 s and a maximum jump height of 23.5 mm. By adjusting magnetic field parameters, the J-robot performs up to 257 jumps min-1, a frequency surpassing most reported soft jumping robots. Additionally, the jump height scales proportionally with the elastic modulus of basic materials, offering valuable insight for soft jumping robot design. This work transforms conventional wood into a dynamic, high-performance actuation material, establishing a new paradigm for sustainable and environmentally adaptive soft robotics.
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  • Cite this article:

    Li X., Wang Y., Zhang Q., et al. (2026). Click Beetle-inspired wood robot for high-frequency continuous jumping. The Innovation Materials 4:100192. https://doi.org/10.59717/j.xinn-mater.2026.100192
    Li X., Wang Y., Zhang Q., et al. (2026). Click Beetle-inspired wood robot for high-frequency continuous jumping. The Innovation Materials 4:100192. https://doi.org/10.59717/j.xinn-mater.2026.100192

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