Happy to see our Perspective now out in npj Robotics on a performance-driven approach for soft robotics. https://lnkd.in/e2466K2Q From our side, some of this thinking has been shaped by work on the Hopcopter—where compliance isn’t just for safety, but a way to store and redirect energy for impulsive motion. That experience really convinced me that soft elements can increase performance when thoughtfully integrated. Of course, this only works in synergy: compliant mechanisms paired with rigid structures (beautifully explored in Kaushik Jayaram’s work) and emerging high-performance soft actuators (Kevin Chen and others) are what make these hybrid systems compelling. If this resonates, we’re organizing a RoboSoft 2026 workshop on Fast and Impulsive Robots Enabled by Soft Actuators and Mechanisms (April 7, Kanazawa). Would love to continue the conversation there. https://lnkd.in/eD2QWJuE
Excited to share our new perspective article that is just out in Nature Portfolio Robotics - a fun collaboration with Pakpong Chirarattananon and Kevin Chen! We highlight several points noted by other leading researchers in soft robotics and suggest a few possibilities building on our groups' research on how we are tackling these challenges. https://lnkd.in/ePhYb9tv In this Perspective, we argue that the next decade of soft robotics should be guided not only by curiosity about new materials and novel functions, but also by a clear focus on performance. Today's soft robots—machines made from flexible, deformable materials—can squeeze through tight spaces, absorb impacts, and interact safely with people and the natural world. Yet despite these advantages, most soft robots still struggle with everyday tasks that require speed, strength, or precise control. This gap limits their use in areas like disaster response, environmental monitoring, or dynamic medical procedures, where high performance and reliability are essential. Animals offer powerful inspiration to address current gaps: their bodies are built from an intricate combination of soft muscles, spring-like tendons, and rigid skeletons. This hybrid design allows them to run, jump, fly, and maneuver with agility and robustness that current robots, especially soft ones, cannot match. We highlight emerging research showing that similar combinations of soft and rigid components can dramatically improve robot performance. New soft actuators are beginning to rival biological muscles in power and control; elastic mechanisms are enabling efficient jumping, rapid redirection, and energy recycling; and flexible yet load-bearing body structures are allowing robots to move quickly while adapting to cluttered or confined environments. Together, these advances point toward a new class of high-performance hybrid robots that blend the best features of soft and rigid systems. We outline the technical challenges that must be addressed—from material durability and fabrication methods to energy management and sensing—and identify opportunities for the community to benchmark, test, and accelerate progress. By adopting a performance-driven mindset grounded in biological principles and a systems-first approach, we believe that soft robotics can move beyond proof-of-concept demonstrations and toward real-world impact, creating agile, resilient, and capable machines for the environments where they are needed most. If you are interested in contributing to this vision, please come join our new lab at Imperial College London!
