Liquid Metal Self-Healing Soft Robot LMorph Heals Itself in 30 Seconds After Being Punctured

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The Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Chemistry and RouLing Technology jointly released LMorph in November 2028 — a self-healing soft robot constructed primarily from liquid metal alloy.

LMorph's skeleton is composed of gallium-indium-tin eutectic alloy, which remains liquid at room temperature and is encapsulated in a silicone elastomer shell. When the shell is punctured or torn, the liquid metal automatically flows to the damaged area, rapidly oxidizing upon air contact to form a protective film, restoring the robot's structural integrity and function within 30 seconds.

"LMorph is like an amoeba — you can cut it and it heals itself," said project lead Dr. Liu Jing of CAS. "This is unprecedented in robotics."

In 1,000 puncture tests, LMorph achieved a 99.5% functional recovery success rate. The robot also possesses shape-shifting capability — it can squeeze through gaps as narrow as 1 centimeter and restore its original form on the other side. This makes it particularly suitable for pipe inspection and crack detection in hazardous environments such as nuclear power plants and chemical factories.

A single LMorph unit costs 2 million yuan, primarily targeting nuclear, petrochemical, and military sectors. RouLing Technology plans to reduce costs to below 500,000 yuan by 2029, expanding into municipal pipeline inspection and other civilian markets.

Environmental concerns exist around the liquid metal's trace heavy metals (gallium, indium). If the robot is damaged in a natural environment, soil contamination is possible. The research team is developing next-generation self-healing solutions based on biocompatible materials.