Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Peipei Shi is a leading researcher in soft robotics, with a focus on bioinspired design, variable stiffness mechanisms, and somatic integration. Her work addresses a central challenge in the field: achieving both high compliance and high stiffness in soft actuators without sacrificing their inherent flexibility. Shi’s most notable contribution is the development of a wide-range stiffness-tunable soft actuator inspired by deep-sea glass sponges, which uses thermoplastic starch to enable pure soft characteristics with unprecedented stiffness control—a paper that has garnered 26 citations. She has also advanced humanoid robotics with a three-joint variable stiffness pneumatic finger actuator (13 citations), enabling more natural, finger-like motion. Her comprehensive review on somatic design for soft robotic grippers (9 citations) synthesizes critical insights into morphology, material, fabrication, actuation, and variability, guiding future embodied intelligence in soft systems. Additionally, Shi has contributed to snake robot locomotion and cable-driven soft modules, demonstrating versatility in both planar and modular designs. With a growing citation impact and a portfolio spanning bioinspiration, fabrication, and control, Peipei Shi is shaping the next generation of adaptive, intelligent soft robots for real-world applications.