Explain the concept of Soft Robotics.

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Accepted Answer

## Soft Robotics

**Soft robotics** is the field of building robots from **compliant, deformable materials** (silicone, elastomers, hydrogels, fabrics) that bend, stretch and change shape, similar to biological organisms such as octopus arms or elephant trunks.

### Rigid vs soft robots
| Point | Rigid robot | Soft robot |
|---|---|---|
| Material | Metal, hard plastic | Silicone, elastomer, fabric |
| Degrees of freedom | Limited, joint based | Very high (continuum) |
| Safety near humans | Needs guarding | Inherently safe |
| Grasping | Needs precise planning | Conforms to object shape |
| Control | Well-established | Difficult, non-linear |

### Actuation methods
```mermaid
flowchart TD
  S[Soft actuation] --> P[Pneumatic or fluidic]
  S --> T[Tendon driven]
  S --> E[Electroactive polymer]
  S --> SMA[Shape memory alloy]
  S --> M[Magnetic or thermal]
```

### Applications
- Soft grippers for fruit, food and fragile objects.
- Wearable exosuits and rehabilitation gloves.
- Minimally invasive surgery and catheters.
- Search and rescue in confined spaces.

### Advantages and challenges
- **Advantages:** safe, adaptable, light, low cost, simple grasping.
- **Challenges:** modelling and control, limited force and precision, durability, embedded sensing.

### Exam tip
Define, give the rigid vs soft table, list actuation types and 3 applications.

Soft Robotics

Rigid vs soft robots

Actuation methods

Applications

Advantages and challenges

Exam tip

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