Soft Robotics: An Introduction to the Special Issue

Abstract

Soft robotics is a new and fast-growing field of robotics <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref1" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">[1]</xref>, <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref2" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">[2]</xref>. It proposes to extend conventional robotics by going beyond the default building blocks, that is, rigid body parts and high-torque servo motors. Soft robotics also uses soft materials like silicone, hydrogels, and polymers. It also includes a wide range of smart materials that are able to change physical properties when stimulated, therefore outsourcing computational functionality directly to the body of the robot (this concept is often referred to as morphological computation <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref3" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">[3]</xref>, <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref4" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">[4]</xref>). In addition, soft robotics considers partially rigid structures like tensegrity designs, foldable robots, origami-based mechanisms, and many others <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref5" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">[5]</xref>. This expansion of the design space enriches robotics in general and opens the space for radically novel sensing and actuation systems and, consequently, for new applications that were previously out of reach for conventional robotic systems.