Self-healing soft pneumatic robots

Inspired by the compliance found in many organisms, soft robots are made almost entirely out of flexible, soft material, making them suitable for applications in uncertain, dynamic task environments, including safe human-robot interactions. Their intrinsic compliance absorbs shocks and protects them against mechanical impacts. However, the soft materials used for their construction are highly susceptible to damage, such as cuts and perforations caused by sharp objects present in the uncontrolled and unpredictable environments they operate in. In this research, we propose to construct soft robotics entirely out of self-healing elastomers. On the basis of healing capacities found in nature, these polymers are…

• FW
  Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek

  Awards: award310764, G006913N, 1100418N, award310435
• ER
  European Research Council

  Awards: award310434, 337596