Articles tagged with Soft Robotics
Researchers created a soft robotics technology that can identify damage, pinpoint its location, and autonomously initiate self-repair. The system uses a multi-layer architecture featuring liquid metal microdroplets, thermoplastic elastomer, and electromigration to melt and seal damaged areas, effectively self-healing the wound.
Scientists have created the first soft robots that can walk out of the machines that make them using a new 3D printing system. The flexible devices were developed to overcome challenges in manufacturing and design, making them suitable for various industries like nuclear decommissioning and space exploration.
Antonio Bicchi has been selected for the 2025 Pioneer in Robotics and Automation Award for his groundbreaking contributions to robotics and prosthetics. He is recognized for developing innovative robotic limbs that match human hand capabilities, as well as natural prosthetic limbs.
The study, published in PNAS, discovered a new type of behavior called 'countersnapping' where structures shrink when pulled. This finding has exciting applications in soft robotics, vibration control systems, and wearable exosuits, enabling one-way sliding motion, materials that switch stiffness on demand, and structures that dampen e...
A robotic hand developed at EPFL can pick up 24 different objects with human-like movements that emerge spontaneously due to compliant materials and structures. The device uses 'self-organized' grasps that mimic natural human grips with a high success rate, making it suitable for highly unpredictable environments.
Researchers from SNU and Harvard develop link-bots that can transport, navigate, and cooperate without advanced programming. The system uses chain-like structures of simple particles to achieve complex tasks.
The robot leverages the Marangoni effect to propel itself forward, utilizing citric acid, sodium bicarbonate, and propylene glycol as non-toxic and biodegradable components. The device can act as a source of nourishment for aquatic wildlife, promoting sustainability in environmental monitoring.
A soft robot can carry loads through the air along established tracks, navigating angles of up to 80 degrees and carrying loads up to 12 times its weight. The robot uses infrared light to move along the track, repeating a rolling motion that pulls it forward.
Researchers developed a self-adaptive core-shell dry adhesive with remarkable performance under non-parallel contact. The 'live core' adapts to macroscopic interfacial angle errors, enabling stress equalization and high adhesion strength.
Researchers at Princeton University developed a 'metabot' material that can expand, assume new shapes, move, and respond to electromagnetic commands. The metamaterial's complex behavior is enabled by chirality, allowing it to defy typical physical object rules.
Researchers at the University of Houston create ceramic materials with origami-inspired shapes and a soft polymer coating, allowing them to bend under pressure without breaking. The resulting structures have improved toughness and can be used in medical prosthetics, aerospace, and robotics.
A research paper proposes an earthworm-inspired soft robot with a novel wire-winding transmission mechanism, achieving multimodal motion and superior motion efficiency. The robot surpasses other robots of the same type in planar crawling speed by an order of magnitude.
The new robotic gripper, called GRIP-tape, uses a combination of softness and stiffness to grasp fragile fruits and vegetables with precision. With its ability to navigate obstacles and deposit objects into containers, the gripper has shown promising results in lifting large fruits like lemons.
The FLUID robot, developed by Hokkaido University researchers, automates the co-precipitation of cobalt and nickel to create binary materials with precision. The open-source system uses a 3D printer and off-the-shelf electronics, making it customizable and cost-effective for researchers worldwide.
A team of engineers has created a new hydrogel that rapidly switches between soft and hard states, making it ideal for real-time applications such as impact-resistant wearables or soft robots. The 'instant armor' hydrogel achieves this with a high-entropy design that allows rapid recovery in just 28 seconds.
Researchers developed a lighter, smarter magnetoreceptive e-skin that tracks signal paths for applications like virtual reality and robotic systems. The new technology emulates the functioning of real skin and saves energy by using a single global sensor surface and central processing unit.
The POSTECH research team developed a smartphone-type OLED panel that can transform its shape while functioning as a speaker, maintaining ultra-thin flexibility. The panel uses electrically driven piezoelectric polymer actuators to achieve complex forms without mechanical hinges or motors.
A team of experts identified key challenges in wearable multisensory haptic devices, including variability in skin contact mechanics and tactile masking. However, emerging actuation methods like polymeric, fluidic, and thermal actuation offer promising solutions to expand the scope of haptic feedback.
Researchers developed electronics-free robots that can walk without electronics, using compressed gas as a power source. The robots were printed in one go from standard 3D printing material and demonstrated three-day operation with air pressure control.
A liquid robot that can transform, separate, and fuse like living cells has been developed by SNU researchers. The robot features particle-armored hydrophobic particles for structural stability and exceptional deformability for flexibility.
MIT engineers have developed a way to grow artificial muscles that twitch and flex in multiple coordinated directions. This breakthrough allows for the creation of soft, wiggly robots with enhanced flexibility and range of motion.
Scientists at Empa have developed a method to produce complex soft actuators using 3D printing, overcoming challenges of elasticity, softness, and material properties. The actuators, made from silicone-based materials, can be used in various applications, including robotics, cars, and potentially even medical devices.
A team of researchers from Aalto University developed a hydrogel with a unique structure that combines high stiffness with flexibility and self-healing capabilities. The material uses exceptionally large and ultra-thin specific clay nanosheets, allowing it to self-heal via entanglement.
Researchers at Max Planck Institute have created a biorobotic arm with artificial muscles that can mimic and suppress real tremors. The technology has the potential to revolutionize assistive exoskeletons and wearable devices for individuals with tremors, providing a more discreet and effective solution.
Johns Hopkins engineers developed a pioneering prosthetic hand that can grip and grasp everyday objects like a human, using a hybrid design that combines rigid and soft robotics. The system achieves 99.69% accuracy in handling objects of varying textures and materials.
The Dielectric Elastomer Sensor (DES) offers real-time pressure and vibration monitoring in soft fluidic actuators, ideal for robotics and biomedical devices. The sensor's flexibility and ability to withstand large deformations make it suitable for applications in automobile designing and structural health monitoring.
Researchers at Institute for Chemical Reaction Design and Discovery developed a rapid self-strengthening technology using weak azo bonds in double network hydrogels. This enables the material to rapidly form new polymer networks, increasing its strength upon deformation.
Researchers at Rice University create programmable fluidic fuses that protect devices and enable complex sequencing of actions. The study's findings have far-reaching applications in wearable technology and robotics, promising more resilient and capable systems.
Researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute are developing a lightweight, flexible robotic arm that enables wheelchair users to safely grasp and carry objects out of reach. The project builds on origami-inspired designs and novel fabrication methods for modules made of lightweight plastics, 3D printed components, and sensors.
A new study at the University of Gothenburg found that a software robot can detect side effects faster than physicians during amiodarone treatment for cardiac arrhythmia. The robot also recommends appropriate intervals between lab tests, aligning with standard practices and reducing unnecessary testing.
Researchers at Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology developed Leafbot, a soft robot that uses vibration-driven locomotion to traverse uneven surfaces. The robot's compliant structure and simple motion strategy enable it to overcome complex obstacles, making it valuable for applications such as inspection and exploration.
Lydia Kavraki was elected to the National Academy of Engineering for her groundbreaking contributions to robotics, biomedicine, and artificial intelligence. Her work has revolutionized motion-planning algorithms and enabled robots to collaborate with humans safely.
A new type of soft robot can crawl like a worm, climb cables, and suddenly snap into a different shape to move in a new direction. The Snap Inflatable Modular Metastructure (SIMM) system allows the robot to both smoothly deform and rapidly change configuration using just one air source.
Researchers at UC3M developed a new soft joint model that enables versatility of movement, adaptability, and safety in robots. The asymmetrical triangular structure allows for greater bending angles with less force, providing operational protection and increased safety in human-robot interactions.
Researchers created a 'Hyperelastic Torque Reversal Mechanism' that enables fast and powerful movements in soft robots made from rubber-like materials. The mechanism leverages the characteristics of soft hyperelastic materials to rapidly stiffen as they compress, allowing for rapid and efficient movement.
Researchers at Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia and Imperial College London demonstrate the connection between hand movement patterns and motoneuron control patterns, enabling natural control of bionic limbs. The study reports successful testing of a soft prosthetic hand with individuals with physical impairments.
Researchers develop a human-robot musical band featuring humanoid robots that perform alongside human musicians, achieving natural synchronization through advanced robotic systems. The project showcases the potential of humanoid robots in creative fields like music, highlighting real-time interaction, adaptability, and artistry.
Researchers at Cornell University have developed modular worm and jellyfish robots that harness 'embodied energy' to reduce weight and increase power density. These soft robots demonstrate improved battery capacity and can travel longer distances than previous models.
Antonio Bicchi's IIT-led project VSoftPro aims to create a transhumeral prosthesis with user-controlled stiffness and passive adaptability. The goal is to replicate the natural appearance and functionality of a human arm, enhancing safe and natural interactions.
Researchers are developing a software framework for crowd-sourced 3D map generation and visual localization from camera data to improve real-time updates and low-cost visual localization. This technology aims to advance self-driving vehicles and enable fully automated transportation
Researchers at MIT have developed a new design for robotic insects that can perform precise pollination with increased speed and maneuverability. The revamped robot has a longer flight duration and can complete acrobatic maneuvers, enabling it to aid in mechanical pollination and boost fruit yields.
Researchers at PolyU have invented a ground-breaking self-powered mechanism to eject freezing droplets, enabling cost-efficient and promising technological applications. The discovery uses spring-like elastic pillars to accelerate ejection velocity and enlarge kinetic energy transformation of freezing droplets.
A new soft wearable robot called WeaRo has been developed to help workers avoid job-related injuries while lifting, lowering, and carrying objects. The robot effectively reduces muscle activation levels by up to 27.0% without constraining users' movements.
The research team developed a gripper (MOGrip) that can transfer multiple objects simultaneously, reducing process time by 34% and travel distance by 71%. Inspired by human multi-object grasping strategy, MOGrip features in-hand translation capability and decoupling links for simplified control.
A research team at Pohang University of Science & Technology developed a technology that visualizes the deformation of 'serpentine' structures in real-time through color changes. This innovation eliminates the need for complex nanofabrication processes, providing actionable design guidelines for optimizing these structures.
Researchers at Stanford University have designed a comfortable, flexible knit sleeve that simulates realistic touch using pressure-based haptics. The Haptiknit sleeve provides more accurate tactile feedback than vibration-based devices, allowing for smoother navigation, military communication, and rehabilitation.
A study published in Science Robotics found that diverse and inclusive teams in robotics research achieve higher motivation, commitment, and productivity. The team identified seven main benefits of workforce diversity and inclusive leadership, including increased innovation and reduced bias.
Researchers at Case Western Reserve University have developed high-performance, low-cost zinc-sulfur batteries with enhanced energy capacity, improved conductivity and stability. These advancements address long-standing safety concerns and enable smaller, longer-lasting designs.
The researchers created a 'metasheet' with an elastic polymer and embedded magnetic microparticles that can move like a wave when controlled by a magnetic field. This technology has potential for use in confined spaces, allowing objects to be lifted and moved without physical contact.
Researchers have created a versatile shape-changing polymer that can twist, tilt, shrink, and expand, mimicking animal movements. The polymer's unique properties make it useful for creating soft robots or artificial muscles, with potential applications in medicine and other fields.
The NUS research team has developed flexible fibres with self-healing, light-emitting and magnetic properties. The Scalable Hydrogel-clad Ionotronic Nickel-core Electroluminescent (SHINE) fibre offers a more efficient, durable and versatile alternative to existing light-emitting fibres.
Researchers developed a soft robot with fins shaped like manta rays, capable of swimming up and down throughout the water column. The robot uses spontaneous snapping-induced jet flows to achieve high speeds and maneuverability.
Researchers at Oregon State University have developed a new 3D printing technique that allows for the creation of shape-changing materials with muscle-like properties. These materials can crawl, fold, and snap directly after printing, enabling their use in implantable medical devices, soft robotics, and energy storage applications.
Researchers at UVA have developed a new polymer design that decouples stiffness and stretchability, allowing materials to be both strong and flexible. The 'foldable bottlebrush polymer networks' can store extra length within their structure, enabling them to elongate up to 40 times more than standard polymers without weakening.
Researchers at the University of Illinois have created a DNA-made nanorobot called NanoGripper that can pick up COVID-19 viruses for rapid detection and block viral particles from entering cells. The device also has potential applications in cancer treatment and preventive medicine.
Researchers at Washington State University have discovered a way to accelerate ions in mixed organic ion-electronic conductors, setting a new world record for ion speed. This breakthrough could lead to improved battery charging, biosensing, and neuromorphic computing.
Researchers have developed sensitive ceramic sensors that can selectively respond to pressure or temperature, which are integrated into a prosthetic hand and a robotic skin. The goal is to enable safe collaboration between humans and machines, with applications in medicine and industry.
Scientists at Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems developed a novel method for deploying multiple magnetic miniature robots to navigate through complex networks resembling blood vessels. The system allows for simultaneous treatment of multiple locations, saving critical time and enabling localized care.
Researchers at Tampere University have developed a non-electric touchpad that can sense force, area, and location of contact without electricity. The device is made of soft silicone and contains 32 channels, enabling precise detection of handwritten letters and multiple simultaneous touches.
Researchers developed grain-sized soft robots that can transport up to four different drugs, release them in reprogrammable orders and doses, and navigate complex environments inside the human body. The robots' precision functions have the potential to significantly improve therapeutic outcomes while minimizing side effects.