Robotics, Smart Materials, and their Future Impact for Humans

The boundaries between smart materials, artificial intelligence, embodiment, biology, and robotics are blurring. Smart materials largely cover the same set of physical properties (stiffness, elasticity, viscosity) as biological tissue and state-of-the-art soft robotic technologies that have the potential to deliver this capability. We can foresee smart skins, assist and medical devices, biodegradable and environmental robots or intelligent soft robots. Ultimately wearable assist devices will make conventional assist devices redundant.