Soft Material Robotic Systems: Recent Advances and Future Developments

This open access book explores the transformative advancements in soft robotics, emphasizing the latest research in materials, control, and design with a focus on practical applications. From photomechanical materials and the usage of morphological computation for the design of robotic hands to deep-sea soft robots, the projects showcase novel designs that break from conventional robotics. By leveraging lightweight, safe materials, and innovative methodologies, this book highlights both the advantages and challenges of soft robotics. It also provides a forward-looking perspective on how interdisciplinary collaboration, intelligent materials, and AI are shaping the future of this dynamic field.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Annika Raatz earned her Ph.D. from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at TU Braunschweig with a dissertation focused on “Pseudo-elastic Shape Memory Alloy Flexure Hinges in Parallel Robots.” Since 2013, she has been the head of the Institute of Assembly Technology and Robotics at Leibniz University Hannover, where she has continued her work on compliant mechanisms, as well as exploring topics such as human-robot cooperation, robot-assisted handling, control systems, and precision assembly. She is the spokesperson for the DFG Priority Program “Soft Material Robotic Systems” (SPP 2100) and served as a co-editor of the book “Soft Robotics: From Theory to Application,” underscoring her expertise in the field.

Prof. Dr. Tobias Kraus was trained as a chemical engineer and materials scientist at TU Munich, MIT, and the University of Neuchâtel. He obtained his PhD at ETH Zurich and IBM’s Zurich Research Laboratory. His interests span physical chemistry, surface science, and their applications in the rational design of materials. In his research, Tobias curtails interactions between colloidal particles and molecules. This leads to predictable, hierarchical assemblies and, finally, structured interfaces and materials. Tobias has been head of the Program Division “Structure Formation” of INM - Leibniz Institute for New Materials since 2014 and full professor for colloid and interface chemistry at Saarland University since 2016.

Prof. Dr. Gianluca Rizzello was born in Taranto, Italy, in 1987. He received his Ph.D. in Information and Communication Technologies in 2016 from the Scuola Interpolitecnica di Dottorato, a joint program between Polytechnic Universities of Torino, Bari, and Milano, Italy. After his doctoral studies, he joined Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany, first with the role of postdoc and Group Leader Smart Material Modeling and Control (2016–2019), and subsequently as Assistant Professor (2020—2025). He is currently a Full Professor at Saarland University, where he leads the Soft Robotic Systems and Control Lab. His research interests include modeling, control, and self-sensing of soft robotic and mechatronic systems based on functional material transducers.

Jan Peters received the B.Sc. degree in 2017 and the M.Sc. degree in 2020 from Leibniz University Hannover, Germany. He worked as a research fellow at University College London (UK) from 2019 to 2020 and was a visiting researcher at Harvard University (USA) in 2022. He is currently a research assistant at the Institute of Assembly Technology and Robotics (match) and pursuing a Ph.D. at Leibniz University Hannover. His research interests include the design and modeling of soft robotic systems and novel switchable strain-limiting structures.

Cora Maria Sourkounis holds a master's degree in Mechatronics and Robotics and has been a research assistant at the Institute of Assembly Technology and Robotics at Leibniz University Hannover, Germany, since 2022. She is part of the coordination team for the Priority Program 2100, focusing on Soft Material Robotic Systems. Her Ph.D. research centers on designing soft, hybrid, and continuous robotic structures for manipulation tasks in extreme environments.