Growing robots based on the eversion principle are known for their ability to extend rapidly, from within, along their longitudinal axis, and, in doing so, reach deep into hitherto inaccessible, remote spaces. Despite many advantages, eversion robots also present significant challenges, one of which is maintaining sensory payload at the tip without restricting the eversion process. A variety of tip mechanisms has been proposed by the robotics community, among them rounded caps of relatively complex construction that are not always compatible with functional hardware, such as sensors or navigation pouches, integrated with the main eversion structure. Moreover, many tip designs incorporate rigid materials, reducing the robot's flexibility and consequent ability to navigate through narrow openings. Here, we address these shortcomings and propose a design to overcome them: a soft, entirely fabric based, cylindrical cap that can easily be slipped onto the tip of eversion robots. Having created a series of caps of different sizes and materials, an experimental study was conducted to evaluate our new design in terms of four key aspects: eversion robot made from multiple layers of everting material, solid objects protruding from the eversion robot, squeezability, and navigability. In all scenarios, we can show that our soft, flexible cap is robust in its ability to maintain its position and is capable of transporting payloads such as a camera across long distances.

翻译：基于外翻原理的成长型机器人以其沿纵轴方向从内部快速延伸、进而深入此前难以触及的远程空间的能力而闻名。尽管具有诸多优势，外翻机器人仍面临重大挑战，其中一项关键问题是在不影响外翻过程的前提下，保持末端传感载荷的稳定性。机器人学界已提出多种末端结构方案，包括结构相对复杂的圆顶帽，但这些设计往往难以与集成到主外翻结构中的功能硬件（如传感器或导航仓）兼容。此外，许多末端设计采用刚性材料，降低了机器人的柔韧性及其通过狭窄开口的导航能力。针对上述缺陷，本文提出一种解决方案：设计基于全织物材质的软体圆柱形帽，可轻松套接于外翻机器人末端。通过制作一系列不同尺寸与材质的软帽，本研究从四个关键维度进行了实验评估：多层外翻材料构成的机器人结构、外翻机器人表面突出固体物体、可压缩性及导航性能。在所有实验场景中，我们证明该柔性软帽能稳健维持其位置，并具备携带摄像头等载荷进行长距离传输的能力。