When it comes to soft, assistive devices — like the exosuit being designed by the Harvard Biodesign Lab — the wearer and the robot need to be in sync. But every human moves a bit differently and tailoring the robot's parameters for an individual user is a time-consuming and inefficient process.

Researchers are developing an artificial, robotic small intestine for use in medical laboratories. The idea of a robotic small intestine may seem strange, as robotic devices are often thought of as being rigid and hard. However, the team will take advantage of an emerging robotics technology created using a kind of flexible, rubber-like material lined with sensors. It can also expand and contract on demand.

The next generation of wearable robots will have lightweight parts, can be put on like a suit, and will not require additional support from crutches, according to researchers. The new types of suits will have light actuators functioning in a different way from the ones in conventional robots, and they will offer real-time control using personalized muscle models and EMG measurements.

Researchers have developed a new class of soft, electrically activated devices capable of mimicking the expansion and contraction of natural muscles. These devices, which can be constructed from a wide range of low-cost materials, are able to self-sense their movements and self-heal from electrical damage, representing a major advance in soft robotics.

Researchers have developed a hybrid rigid-soft robotic arm for endoscopes with integrated sensing, flexibility, and multiple degrees of freedom. This arm — built using a manufacturing paradigm based on pop-up fabrication and soft lithography — lies flat on an endoscope until it arrives at the desired spot, then pops up to assist in surgical procedures.