Snap-through buckling is commonly used in nature for power-amplified movements. While natural examples such as Utricularia and Dionaea muscipula can autonomously reset their snapping structures, bio-inspired analogues require external mediation for sequential snap events. Here we report the design principles for self-repeating, snap-based polymer jumping devices. Transient shape changes during the drying of a polymer gel are exploited to generate mechanical constraint and an internal driving force for snap-through buckling. Snap-induced shape changes alter environmental interactions to realize multiple, self-repeating snap events. The underlying mechanisms are understood through controlled experiments and numerical modelling. Using these lessons, we create snap-induced jumping devices with power density outputs (specific power ≈ 312 W kg⁻¹) that are similar to high-performing jumping organisms and engineered robots. These results provide the demonstration of an autonomous, self-repeating, high-speed movement, marking an important advance in the development of environmental energy harvesting, high-power motion that is important for microscale robots and actuated devices.

快速屈曲在自然界中通常用于功率放大运动。而自然的例子，如Utricularia和Dionaea muscipula可以自主重置它们的捕捉结构，生物启发的类似物需要外部调解来进行连续的捕捉事件。在这里，我们报告了自我重复、基于按扣的聚合物跳跃装置的设计原则。利用聚合物凝胶干燥过程中的瞬态形状变化来产生机械约束和用于快速屈曲的内部驱动力。捕捉引起的形状变化会改变环境相互作用，以实现多个自我重复的捕捉事件。通过受控实验和数值建模来理解基本机制。利用这些经验，我们创建了具有功率密度输出（比功率 ≈ 312 W kg ^-1) 类似于高性能的跳跃生物和工程机器人。这些结果提供了自主、自我重复、高速运动的演示，标志着环境能量收集、高功率运动的发展取得了重要进展，这对于微型机器人和驱动设备很重要。