Jorge Morales

University of Siegen, Folkwang University of the Arts

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Jorge Morales is a leading researcher in the field of soft robotics, with a core focus on additive manufacturing and the design of inherently safe robotic grippers. His work addresses a critical challenge in human-robot interaction: replacing rigid, potentially dangerous grippers with compliant, soft alternatives. Morales’s major contribution lies in pioneering the use of additive manufacturing to produce silicon-based PneuNet actuators, a breakthrough that moves beyond slow, inflexible manual casting. His most-cited paper, "Additive manufacturing of silicon based PneuNets as soft robotic actuators" (74 citations), demonstrates how 3D printing can create these compliant structures, dramatically accelerating production and design iteration. Building on this, his work on the "additively manufactured soft ring-gripper" (18 citations) showcases a universal, form-fitting solution capable of handling unpredictable product geometries without costly reconfiguration. By replacing task-specific hard grippers with soft, additively manufactured ones, Morales is making flexible automation accessible and safe, a vital step for industries with high product variety. His research is foundational for the next generation of collaborative robots that can work safely alongside humans.