Oct-Dec 2023

Announcements

RoboSoft 2024 will host the first-ever demo expo
RoboSoft 2024 Workshops (14.04.2024):
- Bio-hybrids: When robots get alive
- Bio-inspired Soft Metamorphic Aerial Robotics -Year 3-
- Democratization of Soft Robotics through Embodied Intelligence
- From Layers to Limbs: Exploring the Interface of 3D Printing and Bio-Inspired Musculoskeletal Robotics
- Multimodal Soft Robots for Multifunctional Manipulation, Locomotion, and Human-Machine Interaction
- Soft Robotics-Inspired Biology
- Challenges and Opportunities of Electrically-Driven Soft Actuators
- Embodied Exploration Through Muscular Hydrostats
- Fluid-driven soft actuators: challenges and opportunities
- Into the Woods: Soft machines for Ecosystem Exploration
- Material intelligence through multifunctional structures: challenges in design and manufacturing
- Pristine Waters Observatories – Where Eco and Soft Robotics Meet
- Shape Morphing in Soft Robots: Debates, Challenges and Future Directions
- Shape Morphing Robots: From Pattern-to-pattern to Programmable Shape Morphing
- Soft Electronics meets Soft Robotics
- Stiffening techniques for soft robotics
MDPI Special Issue: “Soft Robotics: Land, Water, Air Advances”

Featured Videos

Featured Books

Untethered Miniature Soft Robots: Materials, Fabrications, and Applications (Wiley, Oct-23)

Featured Articles

Views and Reviews

Review on Sensors and Components Used in Robotic Surgery: Recent Advances and New Challenges (IEEE Access, Dec-23)
Neuromorphic Devices, Circuits, and Their Applications in Flexible Electronics (IEEE J-Flex, Oct-23)
Body-conformable light-emitting materials and devices (Nature, Dec-23)
Organic mixed conductors for bioinspired electronics (Nature, Dec-23)
Bioinspired soft robots for deep-sea exploration (Nature, Nov-23)
Pressure-Based Soft Agents (MIT Press, Nov-23)
3D printing dielectric elastomers for advanced functional structures: A mini-review (Appl Polym Sci, Dec-23)
Magnetic Liquid Metals: A Review (Adv Func Mater, Nov-23)
Soft Optical Waveguides for Biomedical Applications, Wearable Devices, and Soft Robotics: A Review (Adv Int Syst, Nov-23)
The Role of 3D Printing Technologies in Soft Grippers (Adv Mater, Nov-23)
Developments and Challenges of Miniature Piezoelectric Robots: A Review (Adv Sci, Oct-23)
Recent Advances on Underwater Soft Robots (Adv Int Sys, Oct-23)
2D Materials Beyond Post-AI Era: Smart Fibers, Soft Robotics, and Single Atom Catalysts (Adv Mater, Oct-23)
Variable stiffness methods for robots: A review (Smart Mater. Struct., Oct-23)

New Materials, Actuators & Stiffening Methods

Rotenna: Harnessing Seamless Integration of Continuum Robot for Dynamic Electromagnetic Reconfiguration (IEEE RA-L, Nov-23)
Bidirectional Double-Spring Pneumatic Artificial Muscle With Inductive Self-Sensing (IEEE RA-L, Oct-23)
Design and motion analysis of a bidirectional parallel-chamber soft pneumatic actuator (Sage, Dec-23)
Self-Retractable Soft Growing Robots for Reliable and Fast Retraction While Preserving Their Inherent Advantages (IEEE RA-L, Dec-23)
Development of Negative-Pressure Artificial Muscles With Fiber Constraints and Pre-Stretched Soft Skin (IEEE RA-L, Nov-23)
Small Multi-Attitude Soft Amphibious Robot (IEEE RA-L, Nov-23)
Assisted Magnetic Soft Continuum Robot Navigation via Rotating Magnetic Fields (IEEE RA-L, Nov-23)
Electroactive Soft Bistable Actuator With Adjustable Energy Barrier and Stiffness (IEEE T-RO, Nov-23)
Stability Analysis of Tendon Driven Continuum Robots and Application to Active Softening (IEEE T-RO, Oct-23)
High speed underwater hydrogel robots with programmable motions powered by light (Nature, Nov-23)
Trimmed helicoids: an architectured soft structure yielding soft robots with high precision, large workspace, and compliant interactions (Nature, Nov-23)
Self-protection soft fluidic robots with rapid large-area self-healing capabilities (Nature, Oct-23)
Muscle-inspired soft robots based on bilateral dielectric elastomer actuators (Nature, Oct-23)
Chemically Driven Oscillating Soft Pneumatic Actuation (SoRo Journal, Dec-23)
Magnetic Liquid Metal Droplet Robot with Multifunction and High Output Force in Milli-Newton (SoRo Journal, Dec-23)
Magnetic Continuum Robot with Intraoperative Magnetic Moment Programming (SoRo Journal, Dec-23)
Deformation Characteristics of Three-Dimensional Spiral Soft Actuator Driven by Water Hydraulics for Underwater Manipulator (SoRo Journal, Nov-23)
Origami Polyhedra-Based Soft Multicellular Robots (SoRo Journal, Oct-23)
A Versatile Topology-Optimized Compliant Actuator for Soft Robotic Gripper and Walking Robot (SoRo Journal, Oct-23)
Spikebot: A Multigait Tensegrity Robot with Linearly Extending Struts (SoRo Journal, Oct-23)
Piezo-Wormbots for Continuous Crawling (SoRo Journal, Oct-23)
Reprogrammable Metamaterial Processors for Soft Machines (Adv Sci, Dec-23)
Variable Stiffness Fibers Enabled Universal and Programmable Re-Foldability Strategy for Modular Soft Robotics (Adv Sci, Dec-23)
Responsive soft actuators with MXene nanomaterials (Responsive Mater, Dec-23)
Thermo-Mechanically Stable, Liquid Metal Embedded Soft Materials for High-Temperature Applications (Adv Func Mater, Dec-23)
Dual-Stroke Soft Peltier Pouch Motor Based on Pipeless Thermo-Pneumatic Actuation (Adv Eng Mater, Nov-23)
Tendril-Inspired Programmable Liquid Metal Photothermal Actuators for Soft Robots (Adv Func Mater, Nov-23)
Soft Self-Healing Robot Driven by New Micro Two-Way Shape Memory Alloy Spring (Adv Sci, Nov-23)
Liquid Metal Microdroplet-Initiated Ultra-Fast Polymerization of a Stimuli-Responsive Hydrogel Composite (Adv Func Mater, Nov-23)
Leaping fishbot by combustion and propulsion hybrid actuation (Journal of Field Rob, Nov-23)
Highly Stretchable and Conductive MXene-Encapsulated Liquid Metal Hydrogels for Bioinspired Self-Sensing Soft Actuators (Adv Func Mater, Nov-23)
Programmable and Variable-Stiffness Robotic Skins for Pneumatic Actuation (Adv Int Sys, Oct-23)
Ions-Silica Percolated Ionic Dielectric Elastomer Actuator for Soft Robots (Adv Sci, Oct-23)
Electrostatic-hydraulic coupled soft actuator for micropump application (Smart Mater. Struct., Dec-23)
Uni-axial reinforced dielectric elastomer actuators with embedded 3D printed fibers (Smart Mater. Struct., Dec-23)
Corrugated V-fold soft actuator with large deformation and high force density (Smart Mater. Struct., Oct-23)
Self-repairing elastomer based on imidazole π–π stacking interaction (Smart Mater. Struct., Oct-23)
Rapid de-stiffening of multilayer transparent structures using controlled thermoplastic softening (Smart Mater. Struct., Oct-23)

Sensing, Flexible Electronic & Skins

Dynamic Hand Proprioception via a Wearable Glove with Fabric Sensors (IEEE IROS, Oct-23)
Torque-Sensing Soft Bellows Actuator for Multi-Fingered Hands Taking Bellows Buckling Into Consideration (IEEE Access, Nov-23)
An Energy-Efficient Solid-State Organic Device Array for Neuromorphic Computing (IEEE T-ED, Nov-23)
All the Feels: A Dexterous Hand With Large-Area Tactile Sensing (IEEE RA-L, Oct-23)
A Soft and Inflatable Vision-Based Tactile Sensor for Inspection of Constrained and Confined Spaces (IEEE Sensors, Oct-23)
The Design of a Vision-Based Bending Sensor for PneuNet Actuators Leveraging ArUco Marker Detection (IEEE Sensors, Oct-23)
Communication Energy Analysis in Soft Robotic and Artificial Skin Covered Structures Using Modified X-Node WBAN Network (IEEE Access, Oct-23)
Self-Sensing Origami-Inspired Soft Twisting Actuators and Its Application in Soft Robots (IEEE RA-L, Dec-23)
MoSS: Monocular Shape Sensing for Continuum Robots (IEEE RA-L, Dec-23)
A Nonarray Soft Capacitive Tactile Sensor With Simultaneous Contact Force and Location Measurement for Intelligent Robotic Grippers (IEEE TIM, Dec-23)
Development of Conductive Surface on Polyurethane Foam Using In Situ Polymerization of Pyrrole for Capacitive Pressure Sensing (IEEE Sensors, Dec-23)
Design and Fabrication of Flexible Composite Tactile Sensors for Robotic Soft Grippers (IEEE Sensors, Dec-23)
Low-Temperature Bending Fatigue of NR Flexible Strain Sensor (IEEE Sensors, Dec-23)
Shape Sensing for Continuum Robots Using FBG Sensors Array Considering Bending and Twisting (IEEE Sensors, Dec-23)
Air-Chamber-Based Soft Six-Axis Force/Torque Sensor for Human Robot Interaction (IEEE TIM, Dec-23)
Robotic Skins With Integrated Actuation, Sensing, and Variable Stiffness (IEEE RA-L, Nov-23)
Flexible Electrolyte-Based Devices for Neuromorphic Electronics (IEEE J-Flex, Nov-23)
Inter-finger Small Object Manipulation With DenseTact Optical Tactile Sensor (IEEE RA-L, Nov-23)
Flexible Piezoresistive Sensor With High Strain Sensitivity and Pressure Insensitivity for Motion Monitoring (IEEE J-Flex, Nov-23)
A Light- and Heat-Seeking Vine-Inspired Robot With Material-Level Responsiveness (IEEE RA-L, Nov-23)
Multi-modal deformation and temperature sensing for context-sensitive machines (Nature, Nov-23)
Touch, press and stroke: a soft capacitive sensor skin (Nature, Oct-23)
Magnetically aware actuating composites: Sensing features as inspiration for the next step in advanced magnetic soft robotics (Physical Review, Dec-23)
Human-Inspired Tactile Perception System for Real-Time and Multimodal Detection of Tactile Stimuli (SoRo Journal, Dec-23)
Untethered Soft Pneumatic Actuators with Embedded Multiple Sensing Capabilities (SoRo Journal, Nov-23)
Design of a Wearable Real-Time Hand Motion Tracking System Using an Array of Soft Polymer Acoustic Waveguides (SoRo Journal, Oct-23)
A Flexible Escape Skin Bioinspired by the Defensive Behavior of Shedding Scales (SoRo Journal, Oct-23)
Origami-inspired Bionic Soft Robot Stomach with Self-Powered Sensing (Adv Health Mater, Nov-23)
Printable Polar Silicone Elastomers for Healable Supercapacitive Strain Sensors (Adv Mater Tech, Nov-23)
Aerosol Jet Printing of Strain Sensors for Soft Robotics (Adv eng Mater, Nov-23)
Soft Wearable Haptic Display and Flexible 3D Force Sensor for Teleoperated Surgical Systems (Adv Sensor, Oct-23)
Stretchable Shape-Sensing Sheets (Adv Int Sys, Oct-23)
Liquid Metal-Based Sensor Skin Enabling Haptic Perception of Softness (Adv Func Mater, Oct-23)
Dual-porous structured dielectric layer for soft capacitive pressure sensor with high sensitivity (Smart Mater. Struct., Dec-23)

Fabrication Techniques & Hardware Toolkits

Vision-controlled jetting for composite systems and robots (Nature, Nov-23)
Polysulfonated covalent organic framework as active electrode host for mobile cation guests in electrochemical soft actuator (Science, Dec-23)
Hydrogel-assisted microfluidic spinning of stretchable fibers via fluidic and interfacial self-adaptations (Science, Oct-23)
Swift 4D printing of thermoresponsive shape-memory polymers using vat photopolymerization (Nature, Dec-23)
3D-printed liquid metal polymer composites as NIR-responsive 4D printing soft robot (Nature, Nov-23)
Somatosensory Electro-Thermal Actuator through the Laser-Induced Graphene Technology (Small, Dec-23)
Multimode coaxial extrusion of segmented core-shell structures for soft metamechanics and biomimetic applications (Smart Mater. Struct., Dec-23)

Locomotion, Swimming & Flying

Electroosmotic Self-Propelled Microswimmer With Magnetic Steering (IEEE RA-L, Nov-23)
Magnetic Repulsion-Based Robot With Diverse Locomotion Capabilities (IEEE RA-L, Nov-23)
Design and Analysis of Adaptive Flipper With Origami Structure for Frog-Inspired Swimming Robot (IEEE RA-L, Nov-23)
Design and build of small-scale magnetic soft-bodied robots with multimodal locomotion (Nature, Dec-23)
Bionic Snail Robot Enhanced by Poroelastic Foams Crawls Using Direct and Retrograde Waves (SoRo Journal, Dec-23)
Nonbiomorphic Passively Adaptive Swimming Robot Enables Agile Propulsion in Cluttered Aquatic Environments (SoRo Journal, Oct-23)
A high load capacity and efficient-transporting inchworm-like crawling robot with bistable structure and pneumatic networks actuator (Smart Mater. Struct., Nov-23)

Manipulation & Grasping

Lightweight and Powerful Vacuum-Driven Gripper With Bioinspired Elastic Spine (IEEE RA-L, Oct-23)
Shape-Conformable Suction Cups With Controllable Adaptive Suction on Complex Surfaces (IEEE RA-L, Oct-23)
Delicate Jamming Grasp: Detecting Deformation of Fragile Objects Using Permanent Magnet Elastomer Membrane (IEEE RA-L, Dec-23)
Haptic Search With the Smart Suction Cup on Adversarial Objects (IEEE T-RO, Nov-23)
Soft-stable interface in grasping multiple objects by wiring-tension (Nature, Dec-23)
A Dual-Modal Hybrid Gripper with Wide Tunable Contact Stiffness Range and High Compliance for Adaptive and Wide-Range Grasping Objects with Diverse Fragilities (SoRo Journal, Nov-23)
Dexterous all-soft hand (DASH) with active palm: multi-functional soft hand beyond grasping (Smart Mater, Struct. Dec-23)
A versatile and high-load soft gripper enabled by vacuum-assisted bio-inspired interfacial adhesion (Smart Mater, Struct. Dec-23)
Variable stiffness soft robotic gripper: design, development, and prospects (Bioinspir. Biomim, Dec-23)

Biomimicry & Bioinspiration

Geared Rod-Driven Continuum Robot With Woodpecker-Inspired Extension Mechanism and IMU-Based Force Sensing (IEEE RA-L, Nov-23)
Octopus-inspired sensorized soft arm for environmental interaction (Science, Nov-23)
A printed luminescent flier inspired by plant seeds for eco-friendly physical sensing (Science, Nov-23)
Octopus-Inspired Muscular Hydrostats Powered By Twisted and Coiled Artificial Muscles (SoRo Journal, Nov-23)
A Novel Extensible Continuum Robot with Growing Motion Capability Inspired by Plant Growth for Path-Following in Transoral Laryngeal Surgery (SoRo Journal, Oct-23)
Light-Driven Amphibious Mini Soft Robot Mimicking the Locomotion Gait of Inchworm and Water Strider (Adv Int Sys, Nov-23)
Photothermal-Driven Crawlable Soft Robot with Bionic Earthworm-Like Bristle Structure (Adv Int Sys, Nov-23)
PiezoClimber: Versatile and Self-Transitional Climbing Soft Robot with Bioinspired Highly Directional Footpads (Adv Int Sys, Oct-23)
Fully 3D-printed tortoise-like soft mobile robot with muti-scenario adaptability (Bioinspir. Biomim, Oct-23)

Soft Robot Applications

Single Channel Soft Robotic Actuator Leveraging Switchable Strain-Limiting Structures for Deep-Sea Suction Sampling (IEEE IROS, Oct-23)
Arm Back Support Suit (Abs-Suit) for Parcel Delivery With a Passive Load Redistribution Mechanism (IEEE RA-L, Dec-23)
Design and Validation of Soft Sliding Structure With Adjustable Stiffness for Ankle Sprain Prevention (IEEE RA-L, Dec-23)
Toward Robotics-Assisted Endomicroscopy in Percutaneous Needle-Based Interventions (IEEE T-MRB, Nov-23)
Soft Hybrid Actuated Hierarchical Bronchoscope Robot for Deep Lung Examination (IEEE RA-L, Nov-23)
Soft Magnetic-Actuation-Based Haptic Interface for a Robot-Assisted Vascular Interventional System: A Feasibility Study (IEEE Sensors, Nov-23)
EMG-Based Intention Detection Using Deep Learning for Shared Control in Upper-Limb Assistive Exoskeletons (IEEE RA-L, Nov-23)
Human-in-the-Loop Personalization of a Bi-Articular Wearable Robotics Assistance for Downhill Walking (IEEE T-MRB, Oct-23)
Experimental and Simulation-Based Estimation of Interface Power During Physical Human-Robot Interaction in Hand Exoskeletons (IEEE RA-L, Oct-23)
A multifunctional soft robot for cardiac interventions (Science, Oct-23)
Multi-silicone bilateral soft physical twin as an alternative to traditional user interfaces for remote palpation: a comparative study (Nature, Dec-23)
Soft Robotics to Enhance Upper Limb Endurance in Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis (SoRo Journal, Oct-23)
Biomimetic Small Intestinal Peristalsis Simulator Using Circumferential Pneumatic Artificial Muscles (cirPAM) (Adv Mater Tech, Dec-23)
Interactive Multi-Stage Robotic Positioner for Intra-Operative MRI-Guided Stereotactic Neurosurgery (Adv Sci, Dec-23)
Sensing Mucus Physiological Property In Situ by Wireless Millimeter-Scale Soft Robots (Adv Func Mater, Nov-23)
Modulating Cardiac Hemodynamics Using Tunable Soft Robotic Sleeves in a Porcine Model of HFpEF Physiology for Device Testing Applications (Adv Func Mater, Nov-23)

Theory: Learning, Modeling, & Control

Real2Sim2Real Transfer for Control of Cable-Driven Robots Via a Differentiable Physics Engine (IEEE IROS, Oct-23)
Describing and Analyzing Mechanical Contact for Continuum Robots Using a Shooting-Based Cosserat Rod Implementation (IEEE RA-L, Dec-23)
Stiffness modelling and analysis of soft fluidic-driven robots using Lie theory (Sage IJRR, Dec-23)
Soft DAgger: Sample-Efficient Imitation Learning for Control of Soft Robots (Sensors, Oct 23)
Human Control of Simulated Modular Soft Robots May Predict the Performance of Optimized AI-Based Controllers (IEEE Access, Dec-23)
Physics-Informed Online Estimation of Stiffness and Shape of Soft Robotic Manipulators (IEEE L-CSS, Nov-23)
Toward the Use of Proxies for Efficient Learning Manipulation and Locomotion Strategies on Soft Robots (IEEE RA-L, Nov-23)
Design, Modeling, and Control of a Legless Squamate Reptiles Inspired Soft Crawling Robot (IEEE RA-L, Oct-23)
Morphological Design for Pneumatic Soft Actuators and Robots With Desired Deformation Behavior (IEEE T-RO, Oct-23)
Vision-Based Autonomous Steering of a Miniature Eversion Growing Robot (IEEE RA-L, Oct-23)
RMRL: Robot Navigation in Crowd Environments With Risk Map-Based Deep Reinforcement Learning (IEEE RA-L, Oct-23)
Force Perception for Rigid-Soft Finger Without Force Sensors: Theoretical Analysis, and Model Transfer (IEEE RA-L, Dec-23)
Multi-Structure Parameter Optimization Analysis of Soft Actuator Based on Numerical Calculation (IEEE Access, Dec-23)
Neural Autoencoder-Based Structure-Preserving Model Order Reduction and Control Design for High-Dimensional Physical Systems (IEEE L-CSS, Dec-23)
Autogeneration of Mission-Oriented Robot Controllers Using Bayesian-Based Koopman Operator (IEEE T-RO, Dec-23)
Multi Actor-Critic DDPG for Robot Action Space Decomposition: A Framework to Control Large 3D Deformation of Soft Linear Objects (IEEE RA-L, Dec-23)
Multirobot Adversarial Resilience Using Control Barrier Functions (IEEE T-RO, Dec-23)
Soft Robot Shape Estimation With IMUs Leveraging PCC Kinematics for Drift Filtering (IEEE RA-L, Dec-23)
A Generalized Motion Control Framework of Dielectric Elastomer Actuators: Dynamic Modeling, Sliding-Mode Control and Experimental Evaluation (IEEE T-RO, Dec-23)
Singularity Analysis and Solutions for the Origami Transmission Mechanism of Fast-Moving Untethered Insect-Scale Robot (IEEE T-RO, Dec-23)
A Hybrid Adaptive Controller for Soft Robot Interchangeability (IEEE RA-L, Nov-23)
Trajectory Planning and Tracking of Multiple Objects on a Soft Robotic Table Using a Hierarchical Search on Time-Varying Potential Fields (IEEE T-RO, Nov-23)
Efficient Constrained Dynamics Algorithms Based on an Equivalent LQR Formulation Using Gauss’ Principle of Least Constraint (IEEE T-RO, Nov-23)
Implicit Time-Integration Simulation of Robots With Rigid Bodies and Cosserat Rods Based on a Newton-Euler Recursive Algorithm (IEEE T-RO, Nov-23)
Modeling and Design of Lattice-Reinforced Pneumatic Soft Robots (IEEE T-RO, Nov-23)
Trajectory Tracking Control of Dual-PAM Soft Actuator With Hysteresis Compensator (IEEE RA-L, Nov-23)
Automatically-Tuned Model Predictive Control for an Underwater Soft Robot (IEEE RA-L, Nov-23)
Human Control of Simulated Modular Soft Robots May Predict the Performance of Optimized AI-Based Controllers (IEEE Access, Dec-23)
Physics-Informed Online Estimation of Stiffness and Shape of Soft Robotic Manipulators (IEEE L-CSS, Nov-23)
A Navigation Algorithm to Enable Sustainable Control of Insect-Computer Hybrid Robot with Stimulus Signal Regulator and Habituation-Breaking Function (SoRo Journal, Dec-23)
Design and Kinematic Modeling of a Soft Continuum Telescopic Arm for the Self-Assembly Mechanism of a Modular Robot (SoRo Journal, Nov-23)
Learning to Control a Three-Dimensional Ferrofluidic Robot (SoRo Journal, Oct-23)
A Toolbox for Designing 3D-Printing-Ready Pneumatic Circuits for Controlling Soft Robots (Adv Int Sys, Oct-23)

Embodied Intelligence & Morphological Computation

Mechanical intelligence simplifies control in terrestrial limbless locomotion (Science, Dec-23)

Featured News Articles

How to 3D print fully formed robots (Nature, Nov-23)
How does it feel to have an octopus arm? This robo-tentacle lets people find out (Nature, Nov-23)
Editorial journal inauguration-npj Robotics (Nature, Oct-23)