Soft Robots for Humanity

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  • Date
    18 March 2025
    Timeframe
    16:00 - 17:00
    Duration
    60 minutes
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    Traditional robotic manipulators are constructed from rigid links and localized joints, which enables large forces and workspaces but creates challenges for safe and comfortable interaction with delicate environments such as the human body. In contrast, many soft robots have a volumetric form factor and continuous bending that allows them to mechanically adapt to their environment — but these same mechanical properties can hinder forceful interactions required for physical assistance and feedback to humans. This talk will examine robotic systems and haptic devices that achieve the best of both worlds by leveraging softness and rigidity to enable novel shape control, generate significant interaction forces, and provide a compliant interface. These soft robots have physical intelligence and artificial intelligence that combine to have significant impact of sustainable development goals including good health and wellbeing, clean water and sanitation, and industry, innovation, and infrastructure.

    Learning Objectives:

    1. Define soft robotics.
    2. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of traditional rigid robots and soft robots.
    3. Examine key technological achievements that enable effective physical intelligence and artificial intelligence for soft robots.
    4. Identify applications of soft robots that could impact sustainable development goals.

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