Click Beetle-inspired wood robot for high-frequency continuous jumping

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.