Special Topics in Soft Robotics

Catalog description

Learning from the versatility and robustness of bodies in nature, robotic devices are moving away from traditional rigid form to designs that intentionally and carefully incorporate compliance. We explore this emerging paradigm of robots by 1) understanding and analytically modeling subcomponents, such as soft actuators, sensors, and bodies, 2) examining current literature and gleaning design principles, and 3) designing and fabricating in a hands-on setting. Course includes a final group project; students are expected to design, model, fabricate, and test either a subcomponent or a full soft robot. Students prepare a short academic paper based on the results of their project, potentially suitable for submission to a robotics conference.