Bioinspired soft robotics investigates compliant robotic systems that emulate the mechanics, morphology, and control strategies of animals and other biological organisms. The field develops artificial muscles, soft actuators, and mechanical metamaterials using polymers, hydrogels, liquid crystal elastomers, and textile or origami-based structures to achieve muscle-like motion, shape morphing, and adaptive stiffness. It spans scales from sub-millimeter microrobots to larger soft-bodied platforms, integrating sensing, flexible electronics, and biohybrid components for autonomous locomotion, manipulation, and interaction in complex environments, particularly in aquatic and terrestrial settings.
Robotics
Watch Boston Dynamics' Atlas robot doing training routines, or the latest humanoids from Figure loading a washing machine, and it's easy to believe the robot revolution is here. From the outside, it seems the only remaining ...
Aug 11, 2025
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Robotics
Give robots a specific job—say, placing a can on a conveyor belt in a factory—and they can be extremely efficient. But in less-structured environments with varied tasks, even seemingly simple things like unscrewing a light ...
Aug 11, 2025
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Robotics
A flexible robotic sheet that can grasp objects and move across surfaces has been created by a team of researchers led by Jung Kim from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology.
Aug 6, 2025
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Robotics
A POSTECH research team has developed a thin, flexible robotic actuator inspired by human muscle proteins. As thin as paper, yet capable of generating strong forces, this robot can maneuver through tight spaces and manipulate ...
Aug 4, 2025
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Robotics
Robots excel at many things, but having a good sense of touch is not among them. Whether dropping items or pinching them too tightly, which crushes the object, many robots struggle with these basic skills that humans have ...
Aug 1, 2025
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Robotics
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) scientists have built the world's first automated cyborg insect "factory line." This new prototype robotic system automates the attachment of miniature electronic ...
Jul 28, 2025
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Robotics
Future robots could soon have a lot more muscle power. Northwestern University engineers have developed a soft artificial muscle, paving the way for untethered animal- and human-scale robots. The new muscles, or actuators, ...
Jul 28, 2025
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Robotics
A new slip-prevention method has been shown to improve how robots grip and handle fragile, slippery or asymmetric objects, according to a University of Surrey–led study published in Nature Machine Intelligence. The innovation ...
Jul 24, 2025
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Robotics
Nature has long served as inspiration for cutting-edge engineering—especially in the realm of underwater propulsion.
Jul 23, 2025
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Robotics
A research team from the Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering (NIMTE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has developed a new method to enhance the efficiency of dynamics modeling for industrial robots, ...
Jul 23, 2025
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