Softbotics: Where Robotics Meets Biomedical Engineering
Over the past year, I’ve become deeply fascinated by the intersection of robotics and biomedical engineering. My journey into robotics began back in 4th grade, when I joined a LEGO League club at school. Building a machine and watching it come to life to complete tasks sparked a passion that has only grown over the years. During my freshman year of high school, I was introduced to biomedical engineering—a field that captivated me just as much, if not more. While learning more about these fields, I discovered an innovation that perfectly bridges them both: Softbotics.
Softbotics is a fascinating field of robotics that focuses on creating machines made from soft, flexible, and adaptable materials. Unlike traditional robots, which rely on rigid metal and solid joints, soft robots are built from materials like silicone, gel, and even fabrics. This allows them to bend, stretch, and adapt to their surroundings through forms of biomimicry —imitating the graceful, resilient movements of living organisms.
At its core, softbotics combines ideas and techniques from robotics, biology, and artificial intelligence to tackle problems where safety and adaptability are critical. One of its greatest strengths is its ability to operate safely around humans, animals, and sensitive environments thanks to its flexible, non-damaging materials.
In the medical field, soft robots are already making an impact. They’re used in prosthetic limbs to enhance gripping capabilities, in wearable sensors like electronic tattoos that monitor vital signs, and in minimally invasive surgical tools that can navigate through the body without harming tissue. Soft robotic suits are also being developed to help patients regain mobility by assisting with natural movements. Industries and manufacturing fields are finding uses for softbots as well—particularly in tasks that involve handling fragile or irregularly shaped items, or in collaborative settings where robots work side-by-side with humans on production lines.
One particularly groundbreaking area of research is the use of soft robotics in planetary exploration. Space agencies like NASA are studying how soft robots could perform tasks on the unpredictable surfaces of other planets. Their flexible, lightweight designs make them better suited for squeezing through tight spaces, traversing over uneven terrain, or deploying in extreme conditions where traditional rigid machines would fail.
In all these applications, the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning is enhancing the capabilities of softbots, allowing them to sense and learn from their environments in real time. In some cases, soft robots such as CMU’s Robot Snail and Cornell’s Soft Robot, are able to self-heal, through processes of compression and thermal exposure to reattach severed parts.
Softbotics is more than just a new branch of robotics—it’s a rising innovation in machine interaction. As research continues, softbotics promises to play an even greater role in healthcare, environmental sustainability, manufacturing, and beyond.
Sources:
Air-powered soft robots achieve lifelike motion without electronics or AI
What Is Soft Robotics and How Does It Work?