The human arm can perform a wide range of extremely delicate and coordinated movements, from turning a key in a lock to gently stroking a puppy’s fur. The robotic “arms” on underwater research submarines, however, are hard, jerky, and lack the finesse to be able to reach and interact with creatures like jellyfish or octopuses…

Micron Products, a wholly owned subsidiary of Micron Solutions Inc., is a contract manufacturer in Fitchburg, Mass. that specializes in precision machining, thermoplastic injection molding, mold making and more. To reduce costs and improve quality, Micron wanted to automate the pick and place process of the delicate plastic clips it produces for a car seat…

Roboticists are envisioning a future in which animal-inspired, soft robots can be safely deployed in difficult-to-access environments, such as inside the human body or in spaces that are too dangerous for humans to work, in which rigid robots cannot currently be used. Centimeter-sized soft robots have been created, but thus far it has not been…

Clinical trials for the ReWalk Robotics ReStore soft exoskeleton are expanding to five research centers in the United States. The centers involved in the ReWalk Robotics ReStore trials include the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab (Chicago), Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital (Boston), the MossRehab Stroke and Neurological Disease Center (Elkins Park, PA), TIRR Memorial Hermann (Houston), and the Kessler Foundation (East…

Researchers from the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University and the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have shown how a multi-layered structure can allow robots to mimic an octopus’ kinematics, creating and eliminating joints on command. The structure can also allow robots to rapidly change their…

Cambridge, Mass.-based Soft Robotics, maker of soft robotic grippers that conform to and pick up a variety of objects, raised $20 million in an oversubscribed funding round. Soft Robotics raised a $5 million Series A in December 2015, bringing its total funding to date to more than $25 million. Soft Robotics CEO Carl Vause tells The…

Researchers from the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering and the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied and Sciences (SEAS) are using machine learning to personalize the controls of soft exosuits. The machine learning algorithm rapidly identifies the best control parameters for the soft exosuit to minimize the amount energy the human…

One of the major challenges in the robotics industry is creating robots that are inspired by nature. This is no easy task, of course, and many of the major challenges associate with creating bio-inspired robots haven’t changed in years. Materials that couple sensing, actuation, computation, and communication must be developed before bio-inspired robots take off. And…

A new camouflage technology could allow the next generation of soft robots to take cover in plain view, according to a report from The Verge. The camouflage takes inspiration from octopuses, and involves a silicone ‘skin’ placed over a fiber mesh that is designed to mimic muscle. The mesh is then cut away to allow…

ReWalk Robotics said today it completed all internal processes related to its Restore robotic rehabilitation softsuit exoskeleton and is ready to initiate clinical trials of the device in 2018, with hopes for a commercial launch in the same year. The Restore softsuit is designed to transmit power to key joints in the legs with cable…