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.
Engineering
When we hear about moving objects with electricity, most of us imagine a "pulling force." Positive and negative charges attract each other, drawing objects together. It is natural to think that this attractive force—known ...
Mar 1, 2026
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Robotics
Researchers have taken inspiration from nature to create a robotic wing that can sense and adapt to changes in water to deliver unparalleled stability. Drawing on the adaptive movements of birds and fish, the wing senses ...
Feb 27, 2026
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Hi Tech & Innovation
E pluribus unum—"out of many, one"—is not only a motto for the United States; it's a good credo for microrobots. A research collaboration between Cornell and the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems has shown how ...
Feb 25, 2026
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Engineering
Origami, the traditional Japanese art of paper folding, has received considerable attention in engineering. By applying paper-folding principles, researchers have created compact structures that are flexible, lightweight, ...
Feb 20, 2026
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Engineering
Can you design a mechanism that will trace out the shape of a heart? How about the shape of a moon, or a star? Mechanism design—the art of assembling linkages and joints to create machines with prescribed motion—is one of ...
Feb 17, 2026
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103
Robotics
The compound eyes of the humble fruit fly are a marvel of nature. They are wide-angle and can process visual information several times faster than the human eye. Inspired by this biological masterpiece, researchers at the ...
Robotics
What is it about a cheetah's build that enables it to run so fast? What gives the wolf its exceptional endurance? While these questions can be partly answered through animal experiments, many contributing factors can't be ...
Feb 11, 2026
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Robotics
A system developed by researchers at the University of Waterloo lets people collaborate with groups of robots to create works of art inspired by music. The new technology features multiple wheeled robots about the size of ...
Feb 9, 2026
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Robotics
Ever feel run off your feet? Spare a thought for sea stars, creatures whose movement involves the coordination of hundreds of tiny tube feet to navigate complex environments—despite the lack of a central "brain."
Feb 7, 2026
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Robotics
Researchers have developed an AI control system that enables soft robotic arms to learn a wide repertoire of motions and tasks once, then adjust to new scenarios on the fly without needing retraining or sacrificing functionality. ...
Feb 5, 2026
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