Abstract:
With the rapid advancement of key technologies in soft robotics, liquid metals have emerged as a focus in this field due to their unique properties, including low melting point, high electrical conductivity, superior thermal conductivity, and excellent fluidity. Gallium-based alloys have significantly enhanced their auxiliary application potential in actuation systems through approaches like magnetic reinforcement, electroactive enhancement, and structural optimization. As conductive materials and flexible electrodes, they demonstrate further promise in actuation, sensing, and multi-degree-of-freedom(multi-DOF) motion through approaches like magnetic reinforcement, electroactive enhancement, and structural optimization. This review systematically summarizes the functional characteristics, actuation mechanisms, and sensing technologies of liquid metals, with particular emphasis on their current applications and challenges in underwater soft robotics. To date, liquid metal-based actuators have achieved diverse actuation modes, including electrothermal, electrochemical, and magnetic driving mechanisms, while corresponding sensors have made breakthroughs in high-sensitivity strain detection, pressure sensing, and multimodal signal monitoring. Nevertheless, the realization of multi-DOF motion in underwater environments still faces technical challenges, such as complex actuation mechanisms, insufficient material stability, and imperfect control systems. Future research needs to further overcome these technical bottlenecks to advance the practical application of liquid metal-driven underwater soft robots.