Chen, Zixi;
Wu, Di;
Guan, Qinghua;
Hardman, David;
Renda, Federico;
Hughes, Josie;
Thuruthel, Thomas George;
... Stefanini, Cesare; + view all
(2025)
A Survey on Soft Robot Adaptability: Implementations, Applications, and Prospects [Survey].
IEEE Robotics and Automation Magazine
10.1109/MRA.2025.3584346.
(In press).
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Abstract
Soft robots, compared to rigid robots, possess inherent advantages, including higher degrees of freedom, compliance, and enhanced safety, which have contributed to their increasing application across various fields. Among these benefits, adaptability is particularly noteworthy. In this article, adaptability in soft robots is categorized into external and internal adaptability. External adaptability refers to the robot’s ability to adjust, either passively or actively, to variations in environments, object properties, geometries, and task dynamics. Internal adaptability refers to the robot’s ability to cope with internal variations, such as manufacturing tolerances or material aging, and to generalize control strategies across different robots. As the field of soft robotics continues to evolve, the significance of adaptability has become increasingly pronounced. In this review article, we summarize various approaches to enhancing the adaptability of soft robots, including design, sensing, and control strategies. Additionally, we assess the impact of adaptability on applications such as surgery, wearable devices, locomotion, and manipulation. We also discuss the limitations of soft robotics adaptability and prospective directions for future research. By analyzing adaptability through the lenses of implementation, application, and challenges, this article aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of this essential characteristic in soft robotics and its implications for diverse applications.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | A Survey on Soft Robot Adaptability: Implementations, Applications, and Prospects [Survey] |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1109/MRA.2025.3584346 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1109/mra.2025.3584346 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions. |
| Keywords: | Automation & Control Systems, DESIGN, DRIVEN, FEEDBACK-CONTROL, Hardware, Heuristic algorithms, LOCOMOTION, Manufacturing, Regulation, Robot sensing systems, Robotics, Robots, Science & Technology, Sensors, Shape, Soft robotics, Software algorithms, TACTILE SENSORS, Technology |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Engineering Science > Dept of Computer Science |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10211643 |
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