Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41484647›Full record

ReviewNano-micro letters2026

Fuel-Powered Soft Actuators: Emerging Strategies for Autonomous and Miniaturized Robots.

Cheng Zhou, Zhoutao Li, Hailong Wei, Guorong Zhang, Fengrui Zhang, Xiaoshuang Zhou, Hongwei Hu, Guanggui Cheng, Jianning Ding, Shi Hyeong Kim and 2 more

Abstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Nano-micro letters, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Cheng Zhou *School of Mechanical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, People's Republic of China.
Zhoutao Li *School of Mechanical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, People's Republic of China.
Hailong WeiSchool of Mechanical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, People's Republic of China.
Guorong ZhangSchool of Mechanical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, People's Republic of China.
Fengrui ZhangSchool of Mechanical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, People's Republic of China.
Xiaoshuang ZhouSchool of Microelectronics and Control Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou, 213164, People's Republic of China.
Hongwei HuSchool of Mechanical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, People's Republic of China.
Guanggui ChengSchool of Mechanical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, People's Republic of China.
Jianning DingSchool of Mechanical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, People's Republic of China.
Shi Hyeong KimDepartment of Advanced Textile R&D, Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, Ansan-Si, Gyeonggi-do, 15588, Republic of Korea.
Ray H BaughmanAlan G. MacDiarmid NanoTech Institute, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, 75080, USA.
Xinghao HuSchool of Mechanical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, People's Republic of China. huxh@ujs.edu.cn.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Soft actuators, capable of producing mechanical work in response to external stimuli, have potential applications in robotics and exoskeletons. However, they face major challenges related to energy supply, especially in long-distance and miniaturized environments. Fuel-driven actuators offer a promising solution by enabling the conversion of chemical energy into mechanical energy, supporting self-sustaining operations. Chemical energy from fuel can be converted into mechanical energy either directly or indirectly through methods such as electron transfer-induced charge injection, structural changes, fuel-to-electricity conversion, fuel combustion-induced heat, or fuel-induced pneumatic actuation. This paper provides a comprehensive review of recent developments in fuel-powered actuators, covering their fundamental principles, advancements, and challenges. It concludes with an outlook for miniaturized and autonomous robots, highlighting the great potential of integrating fuel-powered actuators.

Indexed as

Fuel electrochemical actuatorsFuel-pneumatic actuatorsFuel-powered soft actuatorsFuel thermal actuators

Identifiers

PMID41484647
PMCPMC12764714

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.