# Bioinspired Kirigami Structure for Efficient Anchoring of Soft Robots via Optimization Analysis
## 5 Conclusions  
This study presents a bioinspired kirigami structure engineered to enhance the anchoring performance of a soft robotic system through systematic design and parameter optimization. Drawing inspiration from the anisotropic friction mechanisms observed in snake and lizard scales, we integrated patterned kirigami skins with a soft silicone body actuated by a compact linear actuator. The kirigami cuts comprising linear, triangular, trapezoidal, and hybrid geometries were evaluated for their ability to produce controlled buckling-induced deformation that translates into effective directional surface anchoring.  
Through a comprehensive set of experiments, we analyzed how variations in kirigami geometry, sheet thickness, cut density, stroke length, and actuation speed impact anchoring efficiency, as quantified by crawling distance and stride performance. Our results show that triangular and hybrid designs offer significant improvements in propulsive force and surface engagement over baseline linear patterns. From a series of experiments, the triangular kirigami cuts on a 100 \(\upmu\)m PET sheet with a 4 \(\times\) 20 density were identified as the optimal configuration. Using these optimized design features and refined actuation parameters derived from experimentation, the kirigami-based crawler achieved a stride efficiency of approximately 63% and a maximum autonomous crawling speed of \(\sim\)47 cm/min, confirming the configuration's effectiveness as a soft robotic anchoring mechanism.  
Figure 10: (**a–c**) Electrical integration and compact assembly of the autonomous kirigami crawler, featuring onboard actuation, battery, and control circuit for untethered operation. (**d**) Sequential locomotion snapshots over time showing directional crawling on a PU surface, demonstrating the effectiveness of the kirigami anchoring mechanism under autonomous actuation.  
Complementing the experimental results, we developed a theoretical model that combines buckling mechanics with frictional analysis to predict pop-up heights and directional friction coefficients. The strong agreement between predicted and observed performance metrics validates the model's utility for guiding future kirigami-based anchoring designs. Overall, this work demonstrates that kirigami-engineered skins, when coupled with efficient linear actuation and parameter tuning, provide a scalable and tunable approach to improving anchoring performance in soft robots. The proposed system offers a compact alternative to traditional pneumatic actuators and holds promise for applications requiring autonomous locomotion and high friction control in constrained or unstructured environments. Future work will focus on extending this platform through sensor integration and terrain-adaptive control to further enhance anchoring robustness and functional autonomy.  
The following supporting information can be downloaded at: [[https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/app15147897/s1](https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/app15147897/s1)]([https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/app15147897/s1](https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/app15147897/s1)), Video S1: Demonstration of autonomous crawling performance of the kirigami-enhanced soft crawler.  
Conceptualization, methodology, validation, and software, M.N.K. and Z.S.; methodology, M.N.K.; formal analysis, M.N.K., Z.S. and M.Y.; investigation, Z.S., Y.H. and U.J.; data curation, M.N.K.; writing--original draft preparation, M.N.K.; writing--review and editing, M.N.K., Z.S. and U.J.; visualization, Y.H. and U.J.; supervision and funding acquisition, Z.S. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.  
This work was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (No.2022 YFC3601100) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. U19A20101).  
Not applicable.  
The data presented in this study are available on request from the corresponding author.  
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.