Modular multi-organ perfusion systems offer the unique opportunity to customize different physiological systemic interactions.

This paper introduces an approach to fabricating lightweight, untethered soft robots capable of diverse biomimetic locomotion. Untethering soft robotics from electrical or pneumatic power remains one of the prominent challenges within the field. The development of functional untethered soft robotic systems hinges heavily on mitigating their weight; however, the conventional weight of pneumatic network actuators (pneu-nets) in soft robots has hindered untethered operations. To address this challenge, we developed film-balloon (FiBa) modules that drastically reduced the weight of soft actuators. FiBa modules combine transversely curved polymer thin films and three-dimensionally printed pneumatic balloons to achieve varied locomotion modes. These lightweight FiBa modules serve as building blocks to create untethered soft robots mimicking natural movement strategies. These modules substantially reduce overall robot weight, allowing the integration of components such as pumps, valves, batteries, and control boards, thereby enabling untethered operation. FiBa modules integrated with electronic components demonstrated four bioinspired modes of locomotion, including turtle-inspired crawling, inchworm-inspired climbing, bat-inspired perching, and ladybug-inspired flying. Overall, our study offers an alternative tool for designing and customizing lightweight, untethered soft robots with advanced functionalities. The reduction of the weight of soft robots enabled by our approach opens doors to a wide range of applications, including disaster relief, space exploration, remote sensing, and search and rescue operations, where lightweight, untethered soft robotic systems are essential.

Recent progress in additive manufacturing has enabled the application of stereolithography (SLA) in bioprinting to produce 3D biomimetic structures. Bioinks for SLA often require synthetic polymers as supplements to ensure the structural integrity of the printed cell‐laden constructs. High molecular weight (MW) poly(ethylene‐glycol)‐diacrylate (PEGDA) (MW ≥ 3400 Da) is commonly used to enhance the mechanical property of crosslinked hydrogels. However, the production of bioink with high MW PEGDA requires in‐house polymer synthesis or the acquisition of costly reagents, which may not be readily available in all laboratory settings. As an alternative to high MW PEGDA, this research investigated the use of poly(ethylene‐glycol)‐dimethacrylate (PEGDMA) (MW = 1000 Da) as a supplement of a bioink to enhance the mechanical properties of the SLA‐printed constructs. The successful demonstration showcases 1) the fabrication of 3D constructs with overhang and complex architecture, and 2) the cytocompatibility, with high cell viability of 71–87% over 6 days of culture, of the GelMA‐PEGDMA bioink to enable cell‐laden bioprinting. This study suggests PEGDMA as a viable supplement in the formulation of SLA bioink. The accessibility to PEGDMA will facilitate the advance in 3D bioprinting to fabricate complex bioinspired structures and tissue surrogates for biomedical applications.