Symposium on Soft Robotics

Symposium on soft robotics

Unlike conventional robots, humans and animals are soft and flexible, and adaptive. While in conventional robots’ components such as motors, sensors, beams and computer are stacked, in animals’ functionalities such sensing, control, and actuation are fully integrated, distributed, and robust (i.e., failure of parts does not lead to a non-functional system). In biology the nervous system is distributed over the entire body, and the ‘design’ of the biomechanical motion systems reduces the control demands for the nervous system. For this reason, we want to unravel the solutions found in nature, and use them as inspiration for the design of Soft Robots.

At the 4TU Soft Robotics symposium we focus on realising the next generation of soft robotic systems through the integrated design of affordable flexible hardware, power-efficient lightweight actuators, and efficient and intuitive control. The symposium will cover the following research themes:

• Human-robot interaction
• Distributed control of compliant systems
• modelling of soft robots and soft actuators
• Implementation of advanced materials (including meta- and multi-materials)
• Embedded sensors
• Adhesive surfaces for soft gripping
• (Bio-inspired) design of soft robots leveraging the possibilities of multi-material additive manufacturing

The members of the consortium, the participants of the preceding summer school as well as industry and excellent keynote speakers will be part of the symposium program. There is time to meet each other and explore future collaboration.

A general overview of the program can be found on the website.

Registration fee is €100,- including lunch on both days, the registration form can be found here. 

CONFIRMED SPEAKERS​

• Stanislav Gorb, Kiel University
• Herbert Shea, EPFL
• Just Herder, TU Delft
  
  We welcome a broad and multi-disciplinary audience, including professionals in medicine and industry, academics, artists, designers, and the general public.
  
  Location

The soft robotics symposium will be held in-person at Lijm &Cultuur on the campus of Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands.