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Dutch Soft Robotics
Robots that will daily operate in human environments, will need a ‘soft touch’.
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Bio-inspiration for Soft Robotics (WUR)
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Emerging applications in Soft Robotics (TU/e)
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Agro-robotics and computation solid mechanics (WUR)
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Soft Surgical Robots (TUD)
Cuttlefish-inspired Medical Instruments
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Soft Care and Rehabilitation Robots (UT)
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Soft Actuation and Sensing (UT)
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Soft Haptic Human-Robot Interaction (TUD)
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Human Soft-Robot Interaction and Design (TU/e)
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Haptic Interaction for Multi-segment control (TUD)
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Soft Robotics Modelling and control (TU/e)
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Soft Body Mechanics & Biophysics of Attachment (WUR)
Inspired by the appendices of cephalopods, hybrid material systems will be developed in which 3D conformability and bond strength can be actively controlled by external triggers.
Soft robotics is a young and promising field, and offers an exciting, radically different approach to operate safely and reliable in human-inhabited environments. Our mission is to learn from the solutions found in nature to create desirable mechanical properties, embedded sensors and actuators, modelling and control strategies for soft robots. We believe that a breakthrough in fundamental insight in the functioning of biological systems will go hand in hand with scientific and engineering breakthroughs for creating soft robotic solutions.
Our goal is to conduct research and provide education in the fields of zoology and soft robotics. We will stimulate technology transfers to existing companies or founding spin off companies by making use of dedicated organisations such as Novel-T, Yes-Delft, TU Delft’s Valorisation Centre, and the TU/e Innovation Lab. Additionally, we aim to stimulate societal discussion about soft robotics by organising outreach events such as symposia, to show the importance of research and education in area.
Our Projects
Who are we?
The Dutch Soft Robotics Consortium is a group of several researchers that are part of the 4TU federation. Within the 4TU federation, the four universities of technology: TU Delft, Eindhoven University of Technology, University of Twente and Wageningen University & Research are jointly committed to strengthening and pooling their technical knowledge with the aim of producing sufficient numbers of highly qualified engineers and technical designers, of conducting outstanding and socially relevant research of an international standard, and of promoting cooperation between research institutes and businesses.
The 4TU Soft Robotics research encompasses basic science in biology, development of components and a novel generic theoretical framework for soft robotics and human-robot interaction. The usability of the developed knowledge will be demonstrated with prototype designs of ground-breaking soft robotics with applications in cure, care and agriculture.
