Soft Robots
A Flexible Way To Grab Items With Feeling
The notion of a large metallic robot that speaks in monotone and moves in lumbering, deliberate steps is somewhat hard to shake. But practitioners in the field of soft robotics have an entirely different image in mind — autonomous devices composed of compliant parts that are gentle to the touch, more closely resembling human fingers …
Researchers’ Algorithm Designs Soft Robots That Sense
There are some tasks that traditional robots — the rigid and metallic kind — simply aren’t cut out for. Soft-bodied robots, on the other hand, may be able to interact with people more safely or slip into tight spaces with ease. But for robots to reliably complete their programmed duties, they need to know the …
Giving Soft Robots Senses
One of the hottest topics in robotics is the field of soft robots, which utilizes squishy and flexible materials rather than traditional rigid materials. But soft robots have been limited due to their lack of good sensing. A good robotic gripper needs to feel what it is touching (tactile sensing), and it needs to sense …
Stanford Engineers Create Shape-Changing, Free-roaming Soft Robot
Advances in soft robotics could someday allow robots to work alongside humans, helping them lift heavy objects or carrying them out of danger. As a step toward that future, Stanford University researchers have developed a new kind of soft robot that, by borrowing features from traditional robotics, is safe while still retaining the ability to …
“Sensorized” Skin Helps Soft Robots Find Their Bearings
For the first time, MIT researchers have enabled a soft robotic arm to understand its configuration in 3D space, by leveraging only motion and position data from its own “sensorized” skin. Soft robots constructed from highly compliant materials, similar to those found in living organisms, are being championed as safer, and more adaptable, resilient, and …
The Future Of Robotics Is Soft And Squishy
Whenever we think of robots, we think of hunks of metal. Robots definitely changed the way we do things in fields such as manufacturing and even healthcare. However, recent developments in robotics show that soft, rubbery robots will let us take the next big leap. Why go soft? While metallic robots are reliable in doing …