The artificial muscles have been optimised so that the robot can better isolate defects and overcome minor damage, such as tiny holes in its actuators.
A novel laser-repair method was also developed to help the robot recover from severe damage, such as a fire that scorches the device.
Using their techniques, a damaged robot was able to maintain flight-level performance after one of its artificial muscles was jabbed by 10 needles, while the actuator was able to operate even after a large hole was burnt into it. The repair methods enabled a robot to keep flying even after the researchers cut off 20 per cent of its wing tip.
This could make swarms of tiny robots better able to perform tasks in tough environments, such as conducting a search mission through a collapsing building or dense forest, the researchers said.
“We spent a lot of time understanding the dynamics of soft artificial muscles and - through both a new fabrication method and a new understanding...