soft robot

Stryker has agreed to invest roughly $400m in UK-based CMR Surgical and secured exclusive US sales rights for its Versius surgical robot, strengthening its challenge to Intuitive Surgical's dominant da Vinci system. Versius' modular design, using separate robotic arm carts that teams can arrange around the operating table, is seen as a key differentiator as the two companies compete in soft-tissue robotic surgery.

Researchers have published a new contact-adaptive mesh refinement framework for robotics, described in a paper on arXiv. The approach adds spatial resolution only where it is most useful when manipulating deformable objects, rather than uniformly refining a simulation mesh. The work targets a long-standing challenge in robotic manipulation, where simulating soft, flexible items accurately and efficiently remains difficult.

The Financial Times is highlighting the intersection of robotics ambitions, ongoing semiconductor supply shortages, and weaker-than-expected sales at Apple. The piece suggests consumer tech demand is cooling while companies continue pushing futuristic robotics products, all against a backdrop of constrained chip supply affecting manufacturers globally.

Medical device giant Stryker has invested $400 million in CMR Surgical, the UK-based maker of the Versius surgical robot. The deal signals Stryker's growing interest in soft-tissue robotics, one of the fastest-moving corners of medtech. The move comes as hospital demand for robotic surgery systems accelerates and competitors race to expand their robotic portfolios.

Researchers report a laser-based technique that deliberately destroys and restructures materials so soft electronics and soft robots can be reconfigured into new forms. The approach, described in a newly publicised study, could allow flexible devices and machines to change function after fabrication rather than being fixed at manufacture. Details of the research team and institutions are not yet widely circulated.

Researchers have unveiled a tiny soft robot that can walk and grip objects without any motors, relying instead on soft, compliant mechanisms for its movement and actuation. The design points to simpler, lighter approaches in soft robotics, with potential uses in delicate manipulation and confined spaces. Details about the team, performance, and applications remain limited in early coverage.

Medical device maker Stryker has announced a $400 million investment in CMR Surgical, marking its entry into the soft tissue robotics market. The move puts Stryker in competition with established players like Intuitive Surgical in the fast-growing surgical robotics sector, and signals the company's ambition to expand beyond its orthopedic robotics business.

MIT researchers have developed a shape-sensing sheet that digitally tracks its own movement as it bends and twists. The material can sense and record its deformation in real time, a capability that could matter for robotics, wearable devices and soft structures. The news is drawing attention on tech discussion forums, where readers are weighing potential engineering and consumer applications.

A team in Switzerland has developed a minuscule fiber-based motor designed to keep robots soft and flexible while still allowing them to move. The component is aimed at soft robotics, where conventional rigid actuators undermine pliability. Coverage highlights its potential to help squishy robots bend, contract and perform tasks without losing their pliable structure.

A nature-inspired 'vine robot' was used to reach areas inaccessible to firefighters after a battery facility fire. The robot, modelled on growing vines, can extend through narrow or hazardous spaces, letting responders inspect and operate in conditions too dangerous for people. The deployment highlights growing interest in soft robotics for emergency response.

China is showcasing its dancing humanoid robots in Africa as part of a push to court new business partners on the continent. The performances double as demonstrations of Chinese robotics and AI capability, aimed at impressing potential African partners and investors. Observers see the stunt as an example of Beijing using high-tech spectacle to advance commercial and diplomatic ties amid intensifying competition for influence in Africa.

Medical device maker Stryker has agreed to pay $400 million for CMR Surgical's Versius soft-tissue robotic surgery system, moving the company deeper into surgical robotics. The deal hands Stryker a flexible robotic platform used in minimally invasive procedures, and industry watchers see it as a challenge to Intuitive Surgical's dominance in soft-tissue robotics and part of a broader consolidation wave among surgical robotics makers.

MIT engineers have created a robotic swimmer about the size of a stick of gum, powered by a sheet of living mouse muscle less than 15 micrometers thick. Light at 470 nanometers makes the cells contract, bending gel fins that let the robot steer itself through a maze at roughly four body lengths per minute. The work is drawing attention as a striking example of biohybrid robotics, combining living tissue with artificial materials.

German technology outlet heise reports on lightweight exosuits designed to support tired bodies, which developers say could in future be sewn directly into clothing. The soft robotic suits are intended to help wearers with basic movements such as standing up from a chair or climbing stairs. The report highlights growing interest in wearable assistance technology that goes beyond rigid industrial exoskeletons and could reach everyday consumers.

Researchers have developed a soft, beetle-inspired robot that can transmit tactile information to its human operator, letting the user sense what the robot is touching in real time. The design combines a flexible, insect-like body with touch feedback, which could make remote manipulation safer and more precise in delicate tasks such as handling fragile objects or exploring hazardous environments.

A snake-inspired 'vine robot' has reportedly completed a reconnaissance mission, but its operation highlights ongoing safety concerns around battery thermal runaway — the risk of lithium batteries overheating and catching fire. The flexible, growing robot design is drawing attention for its ability to reach confined or hazardous spaces, even as engineers weigh the fire risks its onboard power supply poses in real-world deployment.