Soft robots that can sense touch, pressure, movement and temperature

Researchers at Harvard University have built soft robots inspired by nature that can crawl, swim, grasp delicate objects and even assist a beating heart, but none of these devices has been able to sense and respond to the world around them. Inspired by our bodies' sensory capabilities, researchers at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering and the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences have developed a platform for creating soft robots with embedded sensors that can sense movement, pressure, touch, and even temperature. The research is published in Advanced Materials. "Our research represents a foundational advance in soft robotics," said Ryan Truby, first author of the paper and recent Ph.D. graduate at SEAS. "Our manufacturing platform enables complex sensing motifs to be easily integrated into soft robotic systems." Integrating sensors within soft robots has been difficult in part because most sensors, such as those used in traditional electronics, are rigid.