PITTSBURGH — When Don Hall was working on a robotic character for his Disney animation, "Big Hero 6," he visited NASA and other robotic research centers in search of a huggable robot. Who wants to ...

(Nanowerk News) Roboticists have long aspired to match the dexterity and adaptability of animals with engineered creations. Soft-bodied creatures like octopuses can smoothly interact with uncertain ...

Soon, a flexible octopus-like robot could be completely free of wires or internal electronics. Engineers at Rice University have unveiled a new soft robotic arm controlled by laser beams.

Some 30,000 people in the U.S. are affected by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, a neurodegenerative condition that damages cells in the brain and spinal cord ...

So-called soft robotic arms are helping to change health care — squeezing into hard-to-reach places in the human body. What’s new: A new study on the technology finds that although the soft-arm robots ...

For many people living with neurodegenerative diseases or recovering from stroke, daily routines can become exhausting challenges. Simple actions like brushing teeth, raising a fork, or combing hair ...

Elizabeth Blackert is a Rice University doctoral alumna who is the first author on a study published in Advanced Intelligent Systems. HOUSTON – (June 9, 2025) – Researchers at Rice University have ...

Scientists in Australia have developed a flexible soft robotic arm that 3D-prints cells onto organs, thereby circumventing many of the risks associated with surgery. A beta version of the ...

(Nanowerk News) At EPFL's CREATE lab, under the guidance of Josie Hughes, a breakthrough has been made in the realm of soft robotics. Drawing inspiration from the versatile movement of elephant trunks ...

Researchers at Rice University, Houston, TX, have developed a soft robotic arm capable of performing complex tasks such as navigating around an obstacle or hitting a ball, guided and powered remotely ...

In order for a VR environment to seem real, it definitely helps if you can experience the sensation of touch within that virtual world. A special sleeve could soon allow people to better do so, using ...

Stephanie Lacour's specialty is the development of flexible electrodes that adapt to a moving body, providing more reliable connections with the nervous system. Her work is inherently ...