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Adv."],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,9]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Complex, three-dimensional (3D) motions typically require actuator arrays and complex control architectures. Here, we present a feather star\u2013inspired soft robotic swimmer that uses only two pneumatic inputs to produce three distinct and switchable swimming modes: jellyfish-like pulsation, fishlike propulsion, and rotor-like reorientation. The robot owes this ability to mechanical intelligence: It leverages a monostable instability in its flexible arms to convert two control actuation inputs into 3D swimming modes, including ascension and descension, forward and backward swimming, hovering, and rotation. The robot achieves a maximum swimming speed of 1.64 body lengths per second, minimum cost of transport of 17.6, and peak rotation speed of 90\u00b0 per second. Particle image velocimetry analyses and computational fluid dynamics simulations reveal distinct vortex structures governing thrust generation and\/or rotational torque in each swimming mode. The robot\u2019s minimal input yet multimodal output demonstrates how mechanical intelligence can enable adaptive and multifunctional, yet simple and energy-efficient, robotic and biological swimming mechanisms.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1126\/sciadv.aeg9211","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,7]],"date-time":"2026-10-07T17:58:33Z","timestamp":1791395913000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.34133\/aaas_crossmark","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Minimal-actuation feather star\u2013inspired soft swimmers for multimodal 3D maneuverability"],"prefix":"10.1126","volume":"12","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3624-478X","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Haitao","family":"Qing","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, 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