soft robot

Engineers at the University of Southern California's Viterbi School of Engineering have announced a soft robot designed with space applications in mind. Soft robotics, which uses flexible materials rather than rigid parts, is seen as promising for exploration because it can adapt to unpredictable terrain and survive harsh conditions. The announcement is drawing attention to how soft robotic systems could support future space missions.

Researchers have developed a soft robot arm powered by algae that can grasp and lift small objects using light as its trigger. The design pairs living photosynthetic cells with flexible materials, pointing to a low-energy approach to gentle robotic manipulation. The news is circulating via coverage from science outlets, drawing attention for blending biology with soft robotics.

Researchers have developed micrometre-scale robots powered by lab-grown mouse muscle tissue, capable of jumping, swimming, walking and grasping objects. The biohybrid approach uses living muscle cells grown in the lab as actuators, offering a level of movement and versatility that conventional tiny mechanical motors have struggled to match. The work is drawing attention as a step toward soft, biologically powered microrobots for medical and research applications.

Yilin Cai, a researcher at the Georgia Institute of Technology, has received an award recognizing her work on adaptive soft robotics. The field focuses on flexible, deformable robotic systems that can adjust to changing environments, with applications ranging from medicine to exploration. Details about the awarding body and the specific honor were not included in the announcement.