The Soft Robotic Matter Group focuses on research at the crossroads of soft robotics and mechanical metamaterials. Combining computational, experimental and analytical tools, the group explores how shape, nonlinearities and feedback can be harnessed to embody intelligent behavior in mechanical systems. In particular, the group works on the design, fabrication and fundamental understanding of robotic materials that are capable of autonomously adapting to – and even harnessing – variations in their environment. Along these lines, the group aims to uncover principles that help us understand how such nonlinearities and feedback can bring about complex – but useful – behavior in soft actuated systems.
The Soft Robotic Matter Group focuses on research at the crossroads of soft robotics and mechanical metamaterials. Combining computational, experimental and analytical tools, the group explores how shape, nonlinearities and feedback can be harnessed to embody intelligent behavior in mechanical systems. In particular, the group works on the design, fabrication and fundamental understanding of robotic materials that are capable of autonomously adapting to – and even harnessing – variations in their environment. Along these lines, the group aims to uncover principles that help us understand how such nonlinearities and feedback can bring about complex – but useful – behavior in soft actuated systems.