Announcements
- IEEE RoboSoft (April 23-26th):
- Transfer papers from IEEE RA-L, T-MRB, T-RO, and RA-M journal (Deadline January 15th)
- Extended abstracts (Deadline January 15th)
- 2025 Rising stars spotlight talks (Deadline January 15th)
- Half-day or full day workshops and tutorials (Deadline November 8th)
- Call for contributions: 2025 Symposium on the Future of Soft Robotics (April 9-11th) organized by the SPP2100
- Virtual Café Discussion: A Route to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusivity in (Soft) Robotics (December 6th, 11am CET) organized by the Working Group for Diversity and Inclusion in Soft Robotics
Experts’ Picks
by Dr. Majid Taghavi (Senior Lecturer in Robotics, Queen Mary University of London) –
The hexagonal electrohydraulic structure combines multiple advanced features in an electrically actuated muscle. Its innovative design enhances the strain generated by HASEL actuators with a high contraction rate, while its rapid reconfiguration supports a wide range of achievable functions with its integrated power unit. Building on its actuation capabilities, the units can be augmented with sensing, control, and dynamic reconfiguration, enabling them to collectively perform sophisticated tasks while remaining adaptable in form and function.
- A Multitentacle Gripper for Dynamic Capture (IEEE T-RO, Sep-24)
by Dr. Maria Elena Giannaccini (Lecturer in Robotics, University of Aberdeen) –
The gripper featured in this work perfectly exemplifies the effectiveness of using bioinspiration in robotics by showing how dynamic, robust grasping can be achieved by a robotic gripper inspired by a sea anemone. This approach brings forward another bioinspired concept: that intelligence and effectiveness can emerge when multiple simple agents work in synergy. The single tentacles cannot individually grasp the desired object but their collective action achieves the goal. This study not only presents interesting new hardware but also shows how different concepts that I and others have used in our research can be combined to produce a novel grasping approach.
Featured Videos
- Printing Conductive and Transparent Oxide Films at Room Temperature Using Liquid Metal (Science, Aug-24)
- A Compliant Robotic Leg Based on Fibre Jamming (IEEE T-RO, Jul-24)
- Overview of stretchable Arduinos embedded in soft robots (Science, Sep-24)
Featured Articles
Views and Reviews
- A Review of Differentiable Simulators (IEEE Access, Jul-24)
- Why Robots Should Grow Like Vines (Frontiers, Jul-24)
- Whisker Sensor for Robot Environments Perception: A Review (IEEE Sensors, Jul-24)
- Robotic Fingers: Advancements, Challenges, and Future Directions: A Comprehensive Review (IEEE Access, Aug-24)
- Taking control: Steering the future of biohybrid robots (Science, Sep-24)
- Wearable haptics for virtual reality and beyond (Nature, Sep-24)
- Bio-inspired autonomy in soft robots (Nature, Sep-24)
- Robots that evolve on demand (Nature, Sep-24)
- Bioinspired electronics for intelligent soft robots (Nature, Aug-24)
- The need for reproducible research in soft robotics (Nature, Jul-24)
- How Perception, Actuation, and Communication Impact the Emergence of Collective Intelligence in Simulated Modular Robots (MIT Press, Aug-24)
- A Review on Recent Trends of Bioinspired Soft Robotics: Actuators, Control Methods, Materials Selection, Sensors, Challenges, and Future Prospects (Adv Int Sys, Sep-24)
- Soft Valves: A Review of Structures, Materials, and Modeling (Adv Int Sys, Jul-24)
- Integrating the Stimuli-Responsiveness of Microparticles via Matrix Embedding for Smart Soft Materials with Customized Switchable Properties (Adv Func Mater, Jul-24)
- Advanced Materials for Energy Harvesting and Soft Robotics: Emerging Frontiers to Enhance Piezoelectric Performance and Functionality (Adv Mater, Sep-24)
- Soft Upper-Limb Wearable Robotic Devices: Technology and Applications (Adv Int Sys, Sep-24)
- Biofabrication of Living Actuators (Annual Reviews, Jul-24)
- How Do Combustions Actuate High-Speed Soft Robots? (SoRo Journal, Jul-24)
New Materials, Actuators & Stiffening Methods
- Emulsions that store oxygen for fast ORR kinetics and multifunctional robotic and mobility systems (Matter, Sep-24)
- Kresling Origami With Differentiation Flaw Design for Multidirectional Crawling Robot (IEEE RA-L, Jul-24)
- Self-deployable contracting-cord metamaterials with tunable mechanical properties (Materials Horizons, Jul-24)
- A Compliant Robotic Leg Based on Fibre Jamming (IEEE T-RO, Aug-24)
- Inflatable-Structure-Based Working-Channel Securing Mechanism for Soft Growing Robots (IEEE RA-L, Jul-24)
- Soft Manta Ray Robot Based on Bilateral Bionic Muscle Actuator (IEEE RA-L, Jul-24)
- Design and Control of a New Pneumatic Quadruped Soft Robot Based on Honeycomb Structure (IEEE Access, Jul-24)
- Performance Optimization of a Fish-Like Propeller Based on Continuum Driving (IEEE RA-L, Sep-24)
- Model-Based Performance Analysis of Twisted String Actuators With Comparison to Spooled Motor Tendon-Driven Actuators (IEEE RA-L, Jul-24)
- Design and Characterization of Twisted and Coiled Polymers and Their Applications as Soft Actuators (IEEE Access, Aug-24)
- A Novel Contact-Aided Continuum Robotic System: Design, Modeling, and Validation (IEEE T-RO, May-24)
- A Novel Soft Climbing Robot With Pneumatic Extendible Arms (IEEE RA-L, Aug-24)
- Earthworm-Inspired Robot Design: Reducing the Number of Actuators Through Embedded Motor Between Segments (IEEE Access, Aug-24)
- Soft Robot Employing a Series of Pneumatic Actuators and Distributed Balloons: Modeling, Evaluation, and Applications (IEEE T-RO, Aug-24)
- Bi-Directional Vibration-Driven Mobile Robots Based on Multipole Magnetoactive Elastomers (IEEE RA-L, Aug-24)
- Untethered Soft Rolling Robot Based on Pneumatic-Tendon Coupled Actuation (IEEE RA-L, Sep-24)
- Hybrid Soft Pneumatic and Tendon Actuated Finger With Selective Locking Chain Link Joints (IEEE RA-L, Sep-24)
- Enhancement of Thin McKibben Muscle Durability Under Repetitive Actuation in a Bent State (IEEE RA-L, Sep-24)
- Design and Modeling of Large Helical Deformation Composite Actuators Under Complicated Loading Conditions (IEEE TIM, Sep-24)
- Dynamically reconfigurable shape-morphing and tactile display via hydraulically coupled mergeable and splittable PVC gel actuator (Science, Sep-24)
- Wirelessly steerable bioelectronic neuromuscular robots adapting neurocardiac junctions (Science, Sep-24)
- Hexagonal electrohydraulic modules for rapidly reconfigurable high-speed robots (Science, Sep-24)
- Bistable soft jumper capable of fast response and high takeoff velocity (Science, Aug-24)
- Multimodal soft valve enables physical responsiveness for preemptive resilience of soft robots (Science, Jul-24)
- Scale-inspired programmable robotic structures with concurrent shape morphing and stiffness variation (Science, Jul-24)
- Multifunctional Magnetic Muscles for Soft Robotics (Nature, Sep-24)
- Electrohydraulic musculoskeletal robotic leg for agile, adaptive, yet energy-efficient locomotion (Nature, Sep-24)
- A polymer-like ultrahigh-strength metal alloy (Nature, Sep-24)
- Untethered soft magnetic pump for microfluidics-based Marangoni surfer (Nature, Sep-24)
- Spring toy-inspired soft robots with electrohydraulic actuators (Nature, Aug-24)
- Programmable responsive metamaterials for mechanical computing and robotics (Nature, Aug-24)
- An electropermanent magnet valve for the onboard control of multi-degree of freedom pneumatic soft robots (Nature, Aug-24)
- A rapid-response soft end effector inspired by the hummingbird beak (Royal Society, Sep-24)
- Novel 4D-printed multi-stable metamaterials: programmability of force-displacement behaviour and deformation sequence (Royal Society, Jul-24)
- Discrete Pneumatic-Tendon-Coupled Actuators with Interconnected Air Circuit for Untethered Soft Robots (Adv Intel Sys, Sep-24)
- Water-Induced Shape-Locking Magnetic Robots (Adv Sci, Jul-24)
- Soft Fibrous Syringe Architecture for Electricity-Free and Motorless Control of Flexible Robotic Systems (Adv Sci, Aug-24)
- Geometrical Parameters Investigation of a Zig-Zag Soft Pneumatic Actuators (Adv Eng Mater, Aug-24)
- A Flexible, Architected Soft Robotic Actuator for Motorized Extensional Motion (Adv Int Sys, Jul-24)
- Programmable Chemical Reactions Enable Ultrastrong Soft Pneumatic Actuation (Adv Mater, Jul-24)
- A Compact, High-Performance, and Deformation-Resilient Trielectrode Electrostatic Soft Pump for Soft Robotics (Adv Int Sys, Aug-24)
- Remote Control: Electrochemically Driving EGaIn@Fe Liquid Metal for Application of Soft Robotics (Small, Sep-24)
- Sound-Based Assembly of Magnetically Actuated Soft Robots Toward Enhanced Release of Extracellular Vesicles (Adv Int Sys, Sep-24)
- Sensor-Embedded Muscle for Closed-Loop Controllable Actuation in Proprioceptive Biohybrid Robots (Adv Int Sys, Sep-24)
- Programmable Shape-Preserving Soft Robotics Arm via Multimodal Multistability (Adv Func Mater, Aug-24)
- High-Performance MXene/Carbon Nanotube Electrochemical Actuators for Biomimetic Soft Robotic Applications (Adv Func Mater, Jul-24)
- Ultra-Tough, yet Rigid and Healable Supramolecular Polymers with Variable Stiffness for Multimodal Actuators (Wiley, Aug-24)
- Dielectric Elastomer Actuators with Low Driving Voltages and High Mechanical Outputs Enabled by a Scalable Ultra-Thin Film Multilayering Process (Adv Func Mater, Aug-24)
- Soft-Rigid Hybrid Revolute and Prismatic Joints Using Multilayered Bellow-Type Soft Pneumatic Actuators: Design, Characterization, and Its Application as Soft-Rigid Hybrid Gripper (SoRo Journal, Sep-24)
- Graphene-Based Thermopneumatic Generator for On-Board Pressure Supply of Soft Robots (SoRo Journal, Sep-24)
- Reconfigurable, Transformable Soft Pneumatic Actuator with Tunable Three-Dimensional Deformations for Dexterous Soft Robotics Applications (SoRo Journal, Sep-24)
- External Steering of Vine Robots via Magnetic Actuation (SoRo Journal, Sep-24)
- Soft Electromagnetic Sliding Actuators for Highly Compliant Planar Motions Using Microfluidic Conductive Coil Array (SoRo Journal, Sep-24)
- A Reconfigurable Soft Helical Actuator with Variable Stiffness Skeleton (SoRo Journal, Aug-24)
- Exo-Glove Shell: A Hybrid Rigid-Soft Wearable Robot for Thumb Opposition with an Under-Actuated Tendon-Driven System (SoRo Journal, Aug-24)
- Soft Crawling Microrobot Based on Flexible Optoelectronics Enabling Autonomous Phototaxis in Terrestrial and Aquatic Environments (SoRo Journal, Aug-24)
- Endoskeleton Soft Multi-Fingered Hand with Variable Stiffness (SoRo Journal, Aug-24)
- Toward Onboard Proportional Control of Multi-Chamber Soft Pneumatic Robots: A Magnetorheological Elastomer Valve Array (SoRo Journal, Aug-24)
- Fluidic Multichambered Actuator and Multiaxis Intrinsic Force Sensing (SoRo Journal, Jul-24)
Sensing, Flexible Electronic & Skins
- Stretchable Arduinos embedded in soft robots (Science, Sep-24)
- AcousTac: Tactile Sensing with Acoustic Resonance for Electronics-Free Soft Skin (SoRo Journal, Aug-24)
- A Vision-Based Force/Position Fusion Actuation-Sensing Scheme for Tendon-Driven Mechanism (IEEE RA-L, Jul-24)
- IMU-Enabled Robotic Finger Force Estimation With Modular Soft Actuators and Virtual Linkages (IEEE T-M, Jul-24)
- Triaxial 3-D-Channeled Soft Optical Sensor for Tactile Robots (IEEE Sensors, Jul-24)
- Inverse Compensation-Based Global Fast Terminal Integral Sliding Mode Control With Lumped Uncertainty Fuzzy Estimation for Dielectric Electro-Active Polymer Actuator (IEEE T-FS, Jul-24)
- Motion Trajectory Perception of an Earthworm-Like Robot Using an Inertial Measurement Unit and Autonomous ZUPT (IEEE Sensors, Jul-24)
- Hardness Discrimination Using Piezoelectric-Based Biomimetic Tactile Sensor and Machine Learning (IEEE Sensors, Jul-24)
- Soft Barometric Tactile Sensor Utilizing Iterative Pressure Reconstruction (IEEE Access, Aug-24)
- Subblescope: Novel Thin-Film Haptic Sensing Using a Single-Bubble Approach (IEEE Sensors, Aug-24)
- Deep Learning-Assisted Superhydrophobic LIG/MWCNT Wearable Sensor for Underwater Motion Detection (IEEE Sensors, Aug-24)
- Multi-Material Torque Sensor Embedding One-Shot 3D-Printed Deformable Capacitive Structures (IEEE Sensors, Aug-24)
- Leader-Follower Control of Rehabilitative Soft Glove Based on Collaborative Sensing and Fine Motion Recognition (IEEE Sensors, Aug-24)
- Enhancing Estimation Performance in Distributed Sensing Through Autoencoder-Based Sensor Array Feature Extraction (IEEE Sensors, Sep-24)
- Optical Fiber Tactile Sensor Based on a Biocompatible Whisker- Inspired Transducer (IEEE Sensors, Sep-24)
- Soft Acoustic Curvature Sensor: Design and Development (IEEE RA-L, Sep-24)
- Proprioceptive State Estimation for Amphibious Tactile Sensing (IEEE T-RO, Sep-24)
- Extremely durable electrical impedance tomography–based soft and ultrathin wearable e-skin for three-dimensional tactile interfaces (Science, Sep-24)
- Stretchable and biodegradable self-healing conductors for multifunctional electronics (Science, Sep-24)
- Quantitative softness and texture bimodal haptic sensors for robotic clinical feature identification and intelligent picking (Science, Jul-24)
- Highly stretchable dynamic hydrogels for soft multilayer electronics (Science, Jul-24)
- Printable, stretchable metal-vapor-desorption layers for high-fidelity patterning in soft, freeform electronics (Nature, Aug-24)
- Reconstructing Soft Robotic Touch via In-Finger Vision (Adv Int Sys, Jul-24)
- Artificial Fingertip with Embedded Fiber-Shaped Sensing Arrays for High Resolution Tactile Sensing (SoRo Journal, Aug-24)
- Multi-Degree-of-Freedom Force Sensor Incorporated into Soft Robotic Gripper for Improved Grasping Stability (SoRo Journal, Aug-24)
- 3D-Printed Origami Actuators for a Multianimal-Inspired Soft Robot with Amphibious Locomotion and Tongue Hunting (SoRo Journal, Aug-24)
Fabrication Techniques & Hardware Toolkits
- Ambient printing of native oxides for ultrathin transparent flexible circuit boards (Science, Aug-24)
- On-Demand Branching Mechanism Using Heat Cutting for Soft Inflatable Growing Robot (IEEE RA-L, Sep-24)
- A fabrication strategy for millimeter-scale, self-sensing soft-rigid hybrid robots (Nature, Sep-24)
- Transformable 3D curved high-density liquid metal coils – an integrated unit for general soft actuation, sensing and communication (Nature, Sep-24)
- Laser-Printed All-Carbon Responsive Material and Soft Robot (Adv Mater, Jul-24)
- Low-Volume Cores for Fabrication of Compact, Versatile, and Intelligent Soft Systems (Adv func Mater, Jul-24)
- Advanced Developments in Additive Manufacturing of Silicone Rubber Elastomers (Wiley, Sep-24)
- Direct Ink Write 3D Printing of Fully Dense and Functionally Graded Liquid Metal Elastomer Foams (Adv Func Mater, Sep-24)
- 4D Printing Hybrid Soft Robots Enabled by Shape-Transformable Liquid Metal Nanoparticles (Adv Mater, Sep-24)
Locomotion, Swimming & Flying
- Bistable Insect-Scale Jumpers with Tunable Energy Barriers for Multimodal Locomotion (Adv Sci, Jul-24)
- A Soft Crawling Robot with Multi-Modal Locomotion Inspired by the Movement Mechanism of Snake Scales (IEEE RA-L, Jul-24)
- A Manta Ray-Inspired Fast-Swimming Soft Electrohydraulic Robotic Fish (IEEE RA-L, Jul-24)
- Float like a butterfly, swim like a biohybrid neuromuscular robot (Science, Sep-24)
- Crawling, climbing, perching, and flying by FiBa soft robots (Science, Jul-24)
- Multimodal locomotion ultra-thin soft robots for exploration of narrow spaces (Nature, Jul-24)
Manipulation & Grasping
- Topology Optimization and Prototype of a Highly Adaptive Multi-Material Compliant Finger for Parallel Grippers (IEEE RA-L, Aug-24)
- SEG-Net: Deep Learning Grasping With a Soft Enveloping Gripper (IEEE RA-L, Aug-24)
- Multi-Layer, Sensorized Kirigami Grippers for Delicate Yet Robust Robot Grasping and Single-Grasp Object Identification (IEEE Access, Aug-24)
- A Multitentacle Gripper for Dynamic Capture (IEEE T-RO, Sep-24)
- Balloon Pin-Array Gripper: Two-Step Shape Adaptation Mechanism for Stable Grasping Against Object Misalignment (IEEE RA-L, Sep-24)
- LeTac-MPC: Learning Model Predictive Control for Tactile-Reactive Grasping (IEEE T-RO, Sep-24)
- High-speed aerial grasping using a soft drone with onboard perception (Nature, Aug-24)
- Dielectric Elastomer Network with Large Side Groups Achieves Large Electroactive Deformation for Soft Robotic Grippers (Adv Func Mater, Jul-24)
- Soft Polymer-Actuated Compliant Microgripper with Adaptive Vibration-Controlled Grasp and Release (SoRo Journal, Aug-24)
- Reticular Origami Soft Robotic Gripper for Shape-Adaptive and Bistable Rapid Grasping (SoRo Journal, Aug-24)
- A Variable Stiffness Bioinspired Swallowing Gripper Based on Particle Jamming (SoRo Journal, Jul-24)
Biomimicry & Bioinspiration
- Bioinspired adaptable multiplanar mechano-vibrotactile haptic system (Nature, Sep-24)
- Artificial Bacteria Flagella With Microstructured Soft-Magnetic Teeth (IEEE T-RO, Sep-24)
- Bioinspired Soft Actuators for High Bending Stiffness and Flexible Spatial Locomotion (IEEE RA-L, Sep-24)
- Soft crawling caterpillar driven by electrohydrodynamic pumps (Field Robotics, Jul-24)
- Jellyfish-Inspired Soft Robot Driven by Pneumatic Bistable Actuators (SoRo Journal, Jul-24)
- Biomimetic Octopus Suction Cup with Attachment Force Self-Sensing Capability for Cardiac Adhesion (SoRo Journal, Jul-24)
- Origami-Enhanced Mechanical Properties for Worm-Like Robot (SoRo Journal, Jul-24)
Soft Robot Applications
- Hybrid Rigid-Soft and Pneumatic-Electromechanical Exoskeleton for Multi-Joint Lower Limb Assistance (IEEE T-MRB, Jul-24)
- On the OTHER Hand: A Bilateral, Reconfigurable Hand Exoskeleton With Opposable Thumbs for Use With Upper Limb Exoskeletons (IEEE T-MRB, Jul-24)
- Breathing Compensation in Magnetic Robotic Bronchoscopy via Shape Forming (IEEE RA-L, Jul-24)
- An Adaptive Hybrid Brain-Computer Interface for Hand Function Rehabilitation of Stroke Patients (IEEE T-NSRE, Jul-24)
- Let Me Give You a Hand: Enhancing Human Grasp Force With a Soft Robotic Assistive Glove (IEEE RA-L, Jul-24)
- Evaluation of Gait-Assistive Soft Wearable Robot Designs for Wear Comfort, Focusing on Electroencephalogram and Satisfaction (IEEE RA-L, Jul-24)
- Developing a Cooking Robot System for Raw Food Processing Based on Instance Segmentation (IEEE Access, Aug-24)
- Adoption of Bionic Soft Robots in Organizations: The Role of Information Disclosure and Government Support (IEEE T-EM, Aug-24)
- Hybrid Manipulator With Force Estimation for Lower Gastrointestinal Interventions (IEEE RA-L, Sep-24)
- An Origami-Inspired Endoscopic Capsule With Tactile Perception for Early Tissue Anomaly Detection (IEEE RA-L, Sep-24)
- Millimeter-scale soft capsules for sampling liquids in fluid-filled confined spaces (Science, Aug-24)
- Improved Assistive Profile Tracking of Exosuit by Considering Adaptive Stiffness Model and Body Movement (SoRo Journal, Sep-24)
- MorphGI: A Self-Propelling Soft Robotic Endoscope Through Morphing Shape (SoRo Journal, Aug-24)
Theory: Learning, Modeling, & Control
- ANCF-based dynamic modeling of variable curvature soft pneumatic actuators with experimental verifications (Smart Materials and Structures, Jul-24)
- Precise Control of Soft Robots Amidst Uncertain Environmental Contacts and Forces (IEEE T-RO, Jul-24)
- High-precision dynamic control of soft robots with the physics-learning hybrid modeling approach (T-M, Jul-24)
- Open Loop Dynamic Trajectory Tracking Control of a Soft Robot using Learned Inverse Kinematics combined with a Dynamic Model (European Control Conf., Jul-24)
- Vision-Based Real-Time Shape Estimation of Self-Occluding Soft Parallel Robots Using Neural Networks (IEEE RA-L, Jul-24)
- Dynamic Model Based Neural Implicit Embedded Tracking Control Approach for Dielectric Elastomer Actuators With Rate-Dependent Viscoelasticity (IEEE RA-L, Sep-24)
- Cooperative Deep Reinforcement Learning Policies for Autonomous Navigation in Complex Environments (IEEE Access, Jul-24)
- Back-Stepping Experience Replay With Application to Model-Free Reinforcement Learning for a Soft Snake Robot (IEEE RA-L, Jul-24)
- Mechanical Design and Data-Enabled Predictive Control of a Planar Soft Robot (IEEE RA-L, Jul-24)
- SoftSling: A Soft Robotic Arm Control Strategy to Throw Objects With Circular Run-Ups (IEEE RA-L, Aug-24)
- SoftSling: A Soft Robotic Arm Control Strategy to Throw Objects With Circular Run-Ups (IEEE RA-L, Aug-24)
- Augmenting Compliance With Motion Generation Through Imitation Learning Using Drop-Stitch Reinforced Inflatable Robot Arm With Rigid Joints (IEEE RA-L, Aug-24)
- Sim-to-Real of Soft Robots With Learned Residual Physics (IEEE RA-L, Aug-24)
- Online Incremental Dynamic Modeling Using Physics-Informed Long Short-Term Memory Networks for the Pneumatic Artificial Muscle (IEEE RA-L, Aug-24)
- Closed-Loop Shape Control of Deformable Linear Objects Based on Cosserat Model (IEEE RA-L, Aug-24)
- Modeling and Analysis of Oblique-Chamber and Symmetric Oblique-Chamber Pneu-Net Soft Actuators (IEEE RA-L, Sep-24)
- Multimodal Strain Sensing System for Shape Recognition of Tensegrity Structures by Combining Traditional Regression and Deep Learning Approaches (IEEE RA-L, Sep-24)
- Online Learning Based Shape Control for a Soft Manipulator Based on Spatial Features Feedback (IEEE RA-L, Sep-24)
- Computational synthesis of locomotive soft robots by topology optimization (Science, Jul-24)
- Vision-Based Online Key Point Estimation of Deformable Robots (Adv Int Sys, Jul-24)
- Data-Driven Modeling and High-Precision Tracking Control of a Soft Continuum Manipulator: Enabling Robotic Sorting of Multiwire Cables (Adv Int Sys, Sep-24)
- Pushing with Soft Robotic Arms via Deep Reinforcement Learning (Adv Int Sys, Jul-24)
- Research on control strategy of pneumatic soft bionic robot based on improved CPG (PLOS One, Jul-24)
- Safe Supervisory Control of Soft Robot Actuators (SoRo Journal, Aug-24)
- The Walking Control of a Crab Biorobot in Amphibious Environment (SoRo Journal, Aug-24)
Featured News Articles
- A Bendy RISC-V Processor (IEEE Spectrum, Sep-24)
- Soft Robot Can Amputate and Reattach Its Own Legs (IEEE Spectrum, Jul-24)
Contributing Experts
- Majid Taghavi is senior lecturer in Queen Mary University of London and a research fellow at Imperial leading his interdisciplinary research group on Soft Robotic Transducers within the Department of Bioengineering. His goal is to pioneer the next generation of artificial muscles with extended functionalities, ultimately creating monolithic soft robots for health applications. His approach involves advancing the material, structure and functionality of soft actuators, incorporating features such as variable stiffness, graded stiffness, self-sensing, self-powered, adaptability and shape-shifting to establish novel core technologies for future wearable, implantable and surgical robotics. Prior to this role, Majid served as a postdoctoral researcher in SoftLab at the University of Bristol, where he introduced multiple artificial muscle technologies. Majid earned his PhD in BioRobotics from Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna with the highest honors, receiving the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) scholarship. During his doctoral studies, he delivered multiple electromechanical and bioelectrochemical energy harvesting and self-powered sensing technologies from nano to macro scales.
- Dr Maria Elena Giannaccini graduated with honours in Biomedical Engineering from the Università di Pisa. Her Master’s thesis focused on the control of a soft, variable stiffness actuator inspired by the Octopus Vulgaris and was conducted at Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Italy as part of the EU-funded OCTOPUS project. In 2015 she obtained her PhD in Robotics at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory as an Early Stage Researcher in the Marie-Curie ITN project INTRO. Her PhD and subsequent research position focussed on developing safe, variable stiffness robotic devices. Most recently she worked at the University of Bristol on the soft, bioinspired Tactip sensor and in developing a soft robotics artificial larynx. In 2019 Elena was appointed as a Lecturer in Robotics at the University of Aberdeen where she pioneered research in soft robotics and started her work on soft wearable devices for rehabilitation.