SPROUT: The Open-Source Soft Growing Robot for Search and Rescue

arXiv:2609.17781 · cs.RO, cs.SY, eess.SY · Submitted 2026-09-15 · Read on arXiv

cs.RO, cs.SY, eess.SY

Submitted: 2026-09-15

Updated: 2026-09-15

Project page: https://sprout-mitll.github.io/sprout

Terminology

• Steering — 7× in this paper · explained in 2 episodes
• Core — 4× in this paper · explained in 2 episodes
• Accuracy — 1× in this paper · explained in 1 episode
• Aperture — 1× in this paper · explained in 1 episode
• Benchmarking — 1× in this paper · explained in 3 episodes
• Modularity — 1× in this paper · explained in 9 episodes
• Robustness — 1× in this paper · explained in 5 episodes

Sources

• 3D Steering and Localization in Pipes and Burrows using an Externally Steered Soft Growing Robot
• On Steerability Factors for Growing Vine Robots
• Evaluating Accuracy of Vine Robot Shape Sensing with Distributed Inertial Measurement Units

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