CAMBRIDGE, MA—Engineers at Harvard University have developed soft robots that can sense touch, pressure, movement and temperature. The devices feature embedded sensors that were inspired by nature and the human body’s sensory capabilities.
Integrating sensors within soft robots has been difficult in the past, because most sensors, such as those used in traditional electronics, are rigid. To address this challenge, the engineers enveloped an organic ionic liquid-based conductive ink within the soft elastomer matrices that comprise most soft robots. The material can be 3D printed.