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Soft robotics, an emerging field that focuses on the development of robots utilizing soft, flexible, and deformable materials, is revolutionizing traditional robotics (reliant on rigid materials and motors) and broadening its range of applications and potential uses. In addition, by emulating the structure, function, and characteristics of biological systems, bioinspired materials are facilitating significant progress in a diverse array of soft robotic applications. This review offers an overview of bioinspired materials employed in soft robotics, exploring their potential applications, challenges, and future research directions. For an intuitive understanding, soft robots based on the primary abilities required and the habitats (terrestrial, aquatic, aerial) of the animals and plants they mimic are categorized. Furthermore, real‐world applications of developed soft robots in everyday human life are presented. The novel category classification and comprehensive analysis presented in this review provide insights into the development of soft robotic systems with the potential to transform various industries and enhance quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three-dimensional (3D) sensors selectively measure the applied force in a particular direction through the designed shape. However, such a fixed sensor design incurs a relatively low sensitivity and narrow measurement range to forces applied from other directions. Here, we report a shape-reconfigurable electronic composite based on a stiffness-tunable polymer and a crack-based strain sensor. The stiffness-tunable polymer allows a high degree of freedom (DOF) in modifying the shape of the electronic composite in its flexible state, enabling the formation of various 3D structures. This modification involves shifting the neutral plane toward the electrode to prevent fractures in the embedded sensors. After modifying the shape of the soft and flexible electronic composite, the dramatically increased stiffness of the stiffness-tunable polymer enables the maintenance of the reconfigured shape of the electronic composite and amplifies the mechanical signal from the external force of the targeted direction by returning the neutral plane to the original position. We validated the reversible modification of the shape of the electronic composite by demonstrating the increase in sensitivity and measured range for targeted external forces (bending, pressing, and stretching) via sequential changes in the designed shapes (wire, spiral, and spring) compared to the initial shape. This facile approach for shape modification will provide an opportunity to realize versatile shape changes in rigid electronics for user purpose.