Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Iris De Falco is a researcher working at the dynamic intersection of soft robotics and minimally invasive surgery (MIS), whose work has made meaningful contributions to the design, control, and clinical application of next-generation robotic systems. Her research focuses on developing innovative robotic platforms that overcome the inherent limitations of traditional rigid surgical tools, exploring how compliant, flexible mechanisms can enhance safety and adaptability in complex surgical environments. De Falco's most influential contribution, "Tendon-Based Stiffening for a Pneumatically Actuated Soft Manipulator" (2016), has accumulated over 200 citations, reflecting its significant impact on the soft robotics community. This work addressed one of the field's central challenges — controllable stiffness — by demonstrating how tendon-based mechanisms could enhance the functional rigidity of pneumatically driven soft manipulators without sacrificing their inherent flexibility. Her broader body of work includes pioneering efforts in miniaturized surgical robots for retraction tasks and the fabrication of elastomeric modular units tailored for MIS applications, underscoring a sustained commitment to making robotic surgery less invasive and more accessible. De Falco's research exemplifies how bridging materials science, mechanical engineering, and surgical innovation can yield transformative tools for modern medicine.