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About

Albert Boer is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of soft robotics and digital fabrication, whose work is reshaping how autonomous machines are designed and built. His primary research areas include monolithic 3D printing of soft robotic systems, embedded fluidic control circuits, and the socio-technical dynamics of medical innovation. Boer’s most influential contribution is the development of a desktop fabrication method that produces fully functional, pneumatically actuated soft robots in a single print—eliminating manual assembly and enabling unprecedented complexity. This breakthrough, detailed in his 2023 paper (131 citations), demonstrates how embedded fluidic circuits can replace electronic controllers, paving the way for truly autonomous, air-powered robots. His follow-up work on monolithic desktop fabrication of walking robots (2025, 15 citations) further advances this vision, producing a soft, air-powered robot that walks immediately after printing. Beyond engineering, Boer critically examines technology adoption in healthcare, as seen in his study of the da Vinci surgical robot in the Netherlands (68 citations) and his analysis of evidence controversies in robotic surgery (11 citations). With over 230 total citations, Boer is a leading voice in accessible, automated robotics and the responsible integration of complex technologies into society.