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151-0636-00L 4 Credits DR , MSC D-HEST , D-MAVT , D-PHYS , D-ITET , D-MATL , D-INFK , D-MATH
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Soft and Biohybrid Robotics

Lecturers & Examiners: Prof. Dr. Robert Katzschmann
VVZ CR n/a

Last Updated: 2026-02-05 16:39:07

Abstract

Soft and biohybrid robotics are emerging fields taking inspiration from nature to create robots that are inherently safer to interact with. You learn how to create structures, actuators, sensors, models, controllers, and machine learning architectures exploiting the deformable nature of soft robots. You also learn how to apply soft robotic principles to challenges of your research domain.

Objective

Learning Objective 1: Solve a robotics challenge with a soft robotic design Step 1: Formulate suitable functional requirements for the challenge Step 2: Select soft robotic actuator material Step 3: Design and fabrication approach suitable for the challenge Step 4: Basic controller for robotic functionality Learning Objective 2: Formulate modeling, control, and learning frameworks for highly articulated robots in real-life scenarios Step 1: Formulate the dynamic skills needed for the real-life scenario Step 2: Pick + combine suitable multiphysics modeling, control + learning techniques for this scenario Step 3: Evaluate the modeling/control approach for a real-life scenario Step 4: Modify and enhance the modeling/control approach and repeat the evaluation Step 5: Choose a learning approach for complex robotic skills Learning Objective 3: Apply the principles of mechanical impedance and embodied intelligence to soft robotic challenges in various domains Step 1: Identify the moving aspects of the problem Step 2: Choose and design the passive and actively-controlled degrees of freedom Step 3: Pick the actuation material based on suitability to your challenge Step 4: Design in detail multiple combinations of body and brain Step 5: Simulate, build, test, fail, and repeat this often and quickly until the soft robot works for simple settings Step 6: Upgrade and validate the robot for a suitable performance under real-world conditions Learning Objective 4: Rethink robotic approaches by moving towards designs made of living materials Step 1: Identify what problems could be easier to solve with a complex living material Step 2: Scout for available works that have potentially tackled the problem with a living material Step 3: Formulate a hypothesis for your new approach with a living material Step 4: Design a minimum viable prototype (MVP) that suitably highlights your new approach

Content

Students will learn about the latest research advances in material technologies, fabrication, modeling, and machine learning to design, simulate, build, and control soft and biohybrid robots. Part 1: Functional and intelligent materials for use in soft and biohybrid robotic applications Part 2: Design and design morphologies of soft robotic actuators and sensors Part 3: Fabrication techniques including 3D printing, casting, roll-to-roll, tissue engineering Part 4: Biohybrid robotics including microrobots and macrorobots; tissue engineering Part 5: Mechanical modeling including minimal parameter models, finite-element models, and ML-based models Part 6: Closed-loop controllers of soft robots that exploit the robot's impedance and dynamics for locomotion and manipulation tasks Part 7: Machine Learning approaches to soft robotics, for design synthesis, modeling, and control Regular assignments throughout the semester will teach the participants to implement the skills and knowledge learned during the class.

Resources

Lecture Notes

All class materials including slides, recordings, assignments, pre-reads, and tutorials can be found on the Moodle page of the class.

Literature

1) Yasa et al. "An Overview of Soft Robotics." Annu. Rev. Control Robot. Auton. Syst. (2023). 6:1–29. 2) Polygerinos et al. "Soft robotics: Review of fluid‐driven intrinsically soft devices; manufacturing, sensing, control, and applications in human‐robot interaction." Advanced Engineering Materials 19.12 (2017): 1700016. 3) Cianchetti, et al. "Biomedical applications of soft robotics." Nature Reviews Materials 3.6 (2018): 143-153. 4) Ricotti et al. "Biohybrid actuators for robotics: A review of devices actuated by living cells." Science Robotics 2.12 (2017). 5) Sun et al. "Biohybrid robotics with living cell actuation." Chemical Society Reviews 49.12 (2020): 4043-4069.

Learning Materials (Links)

General Information

Language
English
Levels
DR , MSC
Frequency
Yearly recurring

Examination

Type
end-of-semester examination
Mode
written 120 minutes
Aids
None
Digital
The exam takes place on devices provided by ETH Zurich.
The assessment will be a written examination with 50% weight and a compulsory continuous assessment throughout the semester with 50% weight.The written exam covers all contents of the course, including the lectures, exercises, and learning activities.The compulsory continuous assessment throughout the semester will consist of three graded assignments on the Moodle platform.

Registration & Places

Max Places
40

Course Components

Type Title Time & Place Hours
lecture with exercise Soft and Biohybrid Robotics
  • Mon 10:15-12:00 (HG D 3.2)
  • Tue 13:15-14:00 (NO C 6)
3 h weekly

Offered In