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Soft Robotics

Scope

There has been an increasing interest in the use of soft and deformable structures in the robotic systems. Soft and deformable structures are crucial in the systems that deal with uncertain and dynamic task-environments, e.g. grasping and manipulation of unknown objects, locomotion in rough terrains, and physical contacts with living cells and human bodies. Moreover the investigations on soft materials are also necessary for more visionary research topics such as self-repairing, growing, and self-replicating robots.

Diversity and Inclusion in Soft Robotics

Scope

Soft robotics is a very active and growing field of robotics which is highly interdisciplinary. Like many (if not all) disciplines of robotics, diversity and inclusion is a key issue, with different cultures, countries and genders not equally represented. Due to the nature of soft robotics, including the potential application domains, low-cost entry barrier to technologies, interdisciplinary nature and the relative age of the field, there is a potential for soft robotics to pave the way for increasing diversity and inclusion within the wider robotics community. Focusing on soft robotics, the scope of this working group is to analyse the current state of D&I and explore different means or opportunities by which the soft robotics community and research discipline could move towards a more inclusive discipline.

Goals

  • Promote inclusivity via discussions, exchanges and collaborations in order to make the field of Soft Robotics flourish by broadening the nexus of the entire community
  • Create networking platforms and social activities to widen the cognitive diversity of soft robotics to nourish meaningful collaborations and mutual growth among participants

IDEA: Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Accessibility Travel Support

This IDEA travel support focuses on increasing diversity in our community, including but not limited to:

  • Secondary/undergrad/graduate students interested in robotics or automation topics
  • Underrepresented groups: women, underrepresented minorities, first-generation college students, LGBTQ+
  • People with disabilities
  • People who have stepped down from the field for some time and want to return (e.g., due to a disease or parental leave).

Please note

that eligible for this support are people who are not actively publishing to IEEE RAS conferences or similar in the last three years!

IDEA Travel Support

Activities

  • Online round tables bound to offer to members of the community a platform where to share their perspectives
  • Monitoring of the inclusivity evolution of the community through the curation, periodical analysis and publication of questionnaire data
  • Contribute to IEEE-RAS International Conferences on Soft Robotics with proactive initiatives meant to welcome diverse members in Soft Robotics

Publications

Soft Robotics: A Route to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusivity in Robotics

Chairs

Simona Aracri, National Research Council of Italy
Sam Hoh, ArmasTec Pte Ltd, University of Bristol
Ditzia Susana Garcia Morales, Institute of Assembly Technology and Robotics
Valentina Lo Gatto, Heriot-Watt University
Femke van Beek, Eindhoven University of Technology
Jovana Jovanova, TU Delft
Josie Hughes, EPFL