Flexible, safe, and adaptive technology in the service of people.
High-performance quadruped and humanoid robots are built using materials like steel, aluminum, or titanium, and operate through cables and mechanical systems—components that allow for lightweight yet robust structures.
However, there’s a promising emerging field: soft robotics. Instead of rigid metal frames, it uses flexible materials such as silicones, polymers, or specialized fabrics. These robots move by inflating, stretching, or contracting air- or gel-based systems when pressure is applied. They also include integrated sensors that monitor pressure, temperature, and deformation in real time. All of this data is processed by artificial intelligence, allowing the robot to adapt and respond optimally to its surroundings. It’s like combining a flexible, agile body with a brain that thinks and reacts in real time.
This is made possible by soft robotics’ use of gentle, adaptable materials—like silicones, gels, and elastic fabrics—that can bend, stretch, and change shape without breaking. As a result, they are safe to work around people and are especially effective at mimicking the natural movements of living beings.
Technical advantages and disadvantages
- Advantages of rigid robots: high strength, precision, and speed in industrial tasks; high payload capacity (able to lift heavy loads). Their robust construction and durable materials ensure reliability in extreme environments (welding, cutting, heavy lifting). They are predictable and highly controllable with consistent repeatability, making them ideal for precision automation tasks such as welding, assembling, and machining.
- Disadvantages of rigid robots: limited adaptability to unexpected changes in the environment; their rigidity makes them prone to causing damage when colliding with objects or people. They require safety measures and restricted zones around them. Their relatively high weight leads to increased energy consumption and makes transportation more difficult. Additionally, direct contact with living tissue is unsafe, which limits their use in biomedical applications.
- Advantages of soft robots: Intrinsic safety in human interaction (soft materials absorb impacts). High adaptability: without a single rigid axis, a single robot can take on multiple shapes. They are lightweight and low-cost to manufacture (using moldable silicones and 3D printing of elastomers). Their softness and biocompatibility make them ideal for healthcare applications such as flexible prosthetics, soft exoskeletons, and automatic catheters.
- Disadvantages of soft robots: Limited strength and precision compared to rigid systems. They cannot support heavy objects or apply large forces, restricting them from high-load tasks. Precise positioning is challenging due to nonlinear control. Additionally, their materials are prone to fatigue and rapid wear (cracking, stretching), which can shorten their lifespan in continuous applications. Their propulsion systems (inflatable or hydraulic) add complexity and make miniaturization more difficult.
Typical applications by environment
- Industry/Manufacturing: Rigid robots are predominant. Precision robotic arms are used to assemble, weld, or paint on production lines. Other robots are employed for industrial inspection and warehouse logistics. Soft robots are used in tasks involving the handling of delicate items (such as fruit or glass), where they can safely operate alongside humans.
- Healthcare and Medicine: Rigid robots are used in surgery (e.g., Da Vinci robotic arms), mechanical prosthetics, and the handling of medical equipment. In rehabilitation, soft robotics enables the development of exoskeletons made from materials like neoprene, which are comfortable, lightweight, and fit the body like clothing. Biomimetic prosthetics that mimic natural body movement and wearable robots that assist in moving arms or legs gently and smoothly are also being developed. All of this contributes to improved physical recovery and enhances patients’ quality of life.
- Home/Consumer: Rigid systems dominate domestic robotics (such as robotic vacuum cleaners, lawn mowers, and mobile assistants). Soft robotics is being explored in safe educational toys and personal assistance devices (e.g., robotic cushions, soft grips), where lightness and safety are essential.
- Rescue and Hazardous Environments: Rigid robots (such as drones and robotic dogs) are used for rapid search, patrol, and damage assessment in disaster areas. Soft robots excel in narrow or dangerous spaces—snake-like or inflatable vine-shaped robots can stretch and navigate through rubble, reaching very small areas that humans or rigid robots cannot access. Similarly, in underwater exploration or environments with toxic substances, these flexible-material robots can bend or deform without breaking, making them ideal for operating in hazardous conditions.
How does AI enhance these robots?
1. Advanced perception: Neural networks analyze data from soft sensors to recognize movement patterns and environmental conditions.
2. Adaptive control: Learning algorithms refine gripping strategies based on the object’s characteristics (softness, shape, weight).
3. Predictive diagnostics: AI detects wear and tear in flexible materials before failure occurs.
The result: robots that not only follow commands, but also learn to move more safely and efficiently with each interaction.
Practical applications of Soft Robotics for everyday people
Soft robotics, combined with artificial intelligence, is beginning to transform everyday activities—especially in areas where interaction with people, fragile objects, or complex environments is essential.
Elderly care
1. Mobility Assistance: Soft, lightweight exoskeletons made from flexible materials like neoprene and silicone help elderly individuals walk with greater stability. These systems adapt to the body and respond to the user’s level of effort, providing additional support when fatigue is detected.
2. Transfer Assistance: Robots with soft-grip systems can help lift or seat a person without causing discomfort. They are especially useful for caregivers, as they reduce the risk of injury for both the patient and the assistant.
3. Physical Rehabilitation (Smart Therapy Gloves): Designed with soft materials and sensors, these gloves assist in restoring hand mobility—such as after a stroke. They adjust force and movement based on the patient’s progress, making therapy more effective and less painful.
Delicate household tasks
- Cleaning Robots with Gentle Touch: Thanks to their flexible «fingers» and tactile sensors, these robots can handle fragile objects like dishes, glasses, or plants without causing damage. They are ideal for homes with elderly individuals or people with limited mobility, offering support with minimal risk of accidents.
Disaster rescue
- Soft Explorers in Emergencies: Snake-like or inflatable vine-shaped robots can slip through rubble after a collapse, reaching areas that are inaccessible to rescuers. Equipped with cameras and artificial intelligence, they can map the environment, detect signs of life, and guide rescue teams to trapped victims.
These advances show that soft robotics, far from being just experimental technology, is becoming a practical, accessible tool that’s increasingly present in everyday life.
Key benefits
- Safety: Soft materials reduce the risk of injury.
- Adaptability: A single robot can adjust its shape for different tasks.
- Natural interaction: The “organic” touch makes coexistence with people easier.
- Energy efficiency: Some soft designs require less power than conventional motors
Challenges ahead
- Durability: Flexible materials may fatigue or wear out more quickly.
- Speed: They still don’t match the speed of rigid robots in highly precise movements.
- Cost: Specialized research and manufacturing make prototypes more expensive.
Future vision
Combining the flexibility of soft robotics with the decision-making power of AI to create solutions that not only perform hard labor, but also think and respond more like humans.
Hybrid ecosystems where rigid and soft robots collaborate: some handling brute force, others performing delicate manipulation.