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About

Vera G. Kortman is an emerging researcher at the forefront of soft robotics, with a particular focus on sensing strategies, embodied intelligence, and the societal dimensions of robotic systems. Her most influential work introduces a retrofit sensing strategy for soft fluidic robots, addressing one of the field's central challenges: enabling sensory feedback without compromising the inherent adaptability of soft actuators. This contribution has garnered 49 citations since its 2024 publication, signaling its rapid uptake by the research community. Kortman's co-authored perspective piece on intelligence in soft robotics, with 29 citations, demonstrates her broader theoretical engagement, advocating for biologically inspired design principles that allow robots to thrive in complex, real-world environments. Perhaps most distinctively, Kortman has championed the role of soft robotics as a vehicle for greater equality, diversity, and inclusivity within the discipline itself, arguing that as robots permeate agriculture, medicine, and emergency response, the field must reflect the diversity of the societies it serves. Collectively, her work positions her as a researcher who bridges technical innovation with meaningful social awareness—a combination increasingly essential in modern robotics research.