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Soft robotics research offers new route for weaving soft materials into 3D spatial structures

Ever wonder why the most advanced robots always seem to have hard bodies? Why not more pliable ones, like humans have?

Researchers working on so-called “soft robotics” attempt to incorporate the feel of living organisms into their creations. But the field hasn’t taken off because the softer components haven’t been easy enough to mass-produce and incorporate into the designs—until now.

University of Virginia researchers have invented a for weaving such as fabrics, rubbers and gels so that they can be compatible with gadgets, which may lead to a soft robotics revolution.