Toward Self‐Sustained Soft Robotics: Triboelectric Nanogenerator–Dielectric Elastomer Actuator Hybrids

ABSTRACT With the recent rapid development of compliant materials, soft robotics has advanced to exhibit unique characteristics such as high adaptability, safe interactions with dynamic environments, enabled by its inherent deformability. Especially, dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) stand out due to their large deformation, fast response, and lightweight structures. However, the kilovolt‐level operating voltage required by DEAs, along with the bulky power sources needed, limits the broader application of DEA‐based devices. Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs), which generally generate in the range of a few hundred to kilovolt scale voltages, might be a potential approach to meet the kilovolt‐level requirements for DEA‐based devices. Furthermore, with their simple structure, light weight, and greater portability, TENGs enable the extension of the operational range of DEA‐based systems. In this sense, recently, there have been attractive approaches to integrate DEAs with TENGs as alternative power sources. This review highlights recent studies on TENG–DEA hybrid systems, with a focus on their structures, working mechanisms, applications, and performances across various fields, including soft robotics, biomedical engineering, electronics, and so on. Moreover, we discuss challenges at the system and material levels with providing perspectives on addressing current challenges and future research directions for TENG–DEA hybrid systems. image