Soft Robotics

- Overview

Soft robotics creates robots from compliant, flexible materials (like silicone or fabric) inspired by biology, allowing them to safely interact with humans, handle delicate objects, and adapt to complex environments, unlike rigid robots, using actuators (often pneumatic) that change shape via fluid pressure or other methods, leading to applications in medical devices, prosthetics, wearables, and exploration, though challenges remain in control and material durability. 

1. How soft robotics Works;

• Compliant Materials: Instead of hard metals, soft robots use materials like elastomers, silicone, and fabrics that can deform.
• Actuation: Movement is achieved through internal channels filled with pressurized fluids (pneumatics/hydraulics) that cause bending or expansion, or via light-activated materials.
• Variable Stiffness: Some designs use mechanisms like "particle jamming," where vacuum pressure firms up a granular material inside a sac, allowing the robot to switch from soft to stiff for grasping.

• Safety: Their compliance makes them safer for close human interaction, reducing injury risk.
• Adaptability: They can conform to the shape of fragile or irregular objects, perfect for grasping.
• Bio-inspiration: Mimic living organisms, enabling complex movements like swimming or mimicking heart muscle.

3. Applications:

• Healthcare: Soft prosthetic hands, implantable heart sleeves (cardiac assist), and endoscopic probes for surgery.
• Wearables: Assistive garments for mobility (e.g., shoulder support) and haptic feedback devices.
• Industrial: Gentle grippers for food or electronics, reducing damage.
• Exploration: Space assembly tools and planetary exploration.

• Control: Developing precise control systems for these inherently complex, deformable bodies.
• Durability: Ensuring long-term performance, with research into biodegradable materials for some uses. 
• Integration: Combining advanced materials, sensors, and controls for truly autonomous systems.