Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Ali Shtarbanov is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of soft robotics, programmable materials, and human-computer interaction (HCI). His work reimagines how we interact with technology by embedding movement and responsiveness into the very fabrics and objects of everyday life. Shtarbanov’s most influential contribution is the **FlowIO Development Platform**, often called the “pneumatic Raspberry Pi” for soft robotics, which has garnered 74 citations for democratizing access to sophisticated pneumatic control. He also developed **OmniFiber** (111 citations), integrated fluidic fiber actuators that weave movement into textiles, enabling new forms of wearable interfaces. His research extends to **PneuBots**, a modular construction kit for playful soft robotics exploration, and **Touchibo**, a multimodal robotic platform designed to enhance shared experiences for children with mixed visual abilities. Through these innovations, Shtarbanov has fundamentally advanced the creation of soft, adaptive, and interactive systems, bridging material science and HCI to shape the future of tangible interfaces and haptic technologies.