Press

Desktop Fabrication of Monolithic Soft Robotic Devices with Embedded Fluidic Control Circuits

UC San Diego Today, "This 3D Printed Gripper Doesn’t Need Electronics To Function",  July 27, 2023.

New Atlas, "Soft robotic gripper uses nothing but air to grasp and release objects", July 27, 2023.

Mirage News, "3D Printed Gripper Functions Without Electronics", July 28, 2023.

Electronics Weekly, "3D printed robot gripper needs no electronics", July 28, 2023.

3Printr, "This 3D Printed Gripper does not need Electronics to work", July 28, 2023.

Tech Times, "This 3D-Printed Soft Robotic Gripper Can Operate Without Electronics — How Does It Work?", July 28, 2023.

IEEE Spectrum, "Video Friday: Spot Tripping > Your weekly selection of awesome robot videos", July 28, 2023.

Verve times, "ScienceDaily: Revolutionary 3D Printing Device Enables Simultaneous Object Printing And Pickup", July 29, 2023.

Swift Telecast, "Printing Device Capable of Picking and Releasing Objects in One Process, Study Finds", July 30, 2023.

Interesting Engineering, "Researchers create electronics-free robotic gripper with 3D printing", July 30, 2023.

Tech Explorist, "New 3D-printed soft robotic gripper functions without electronics", July 31, 2023.

Designboom, "watch this 3D-printed robotic gripper pick up, hold and release objects without electronics", July 31, 2023.

Unite.AI, "Revolutionizing Robotics: A 3D Printed Gripper That Functions Without Electronics", July 31, 2023.

Australian Manufacturing, "Researchers use 3D printing to develop electronics-free robotic gripper", July 31, 2023.

IoT World Today, "3D-Printed Robotic Gripper Works Without Power", Aug. 1, 2023.


Toward Robotic Sensing and Swimming in Granular Environments using Underactuated Appendages

Jacobs School News, "Bot Inspired by Baby Turtles Can Swim Under the Sand",  July 18, 2023.

EurekAlert!, "Bot inspired by baby turtles can swim under the sand", July 18, 2023.

Interesting Engineering, "Turtle-inspired robot can swim under the sand and detect obstacles", July 19, 2023.

GlobalSpec, "Turtle bot can swim under sand", July 20, 2023.

AZO Robotics, "Robots That Can Navigate Through Sand", July 19 2023.

Time News, "Robot moving under the sand", July 23, 2023.


Gas-Lubricated Vibration-based Adhesion

IEEE Spectrum, "Somehow This Robot Sticks to Ceilings by Vibrating a Flexible Disc",  June 3, 2021.

Slashgear, "This robot clings to the ceiling using a vibrating disk",  June 4, 2021

Hackaday, "Robot Clings to Ceiling", June 9, 2021


Electronics-free pneumatic circuits for controlling soft legged robots 

Jacobs School News, "This Robot Doesn’t Need Any Electronics",  Feb. 17, 2021.

TechXplore, "Walking quadruped is controlled and powered by pressurized air",  Feb. 17, 2021.

Veritasium, "Why Robots That Bend Are Better", Feb. 18, 2021.

Interesting Engineering, "Four-Legged Soft Robot Operates on Pressurized Air Alone", Feb. 18, 2021.

AtomsTalk, "Wow! Here Is A Robot That Doesn’t Need Any Electronics",  Feb. 20, 2021. 

IEEE Spectrum, "Soft Legged Robot Uses Pneumatic Circuitry to Walk Like a Turtle",  Feb. 20, 2021. 


Cephalopod-inspired robot capable of cyclic jet propulsion through shape change

ASME, "A Squidbot Hits the Seas", January 18, 2021.

Futurism, "This Swimming Squid robot Looks Absolutely Amazing", October 7, 2020.

The Independent, "Glowing Robot Squid Could be the Next Step in Deep Sea Exploration", October 7, 2020.

Interesting Engineering, "Squid Robot Ready to Shoot Underwater", October 7, 2020.

New Atlas, " 'Squidbot' propels itself with jets of water just like the real thing", October 7, 2020.

News 18, "Inspired by Squids, Researchers Develop 'SquidBot' to Probe Deeper Underwater Surfaces", October 8, 2020

Slashgear, "Squidbot moves like a real squid to take pictures of coral and fish," October 8, 2020.

Engadget, "Researchers built a robot squid that propels itself with a water jet", October 9, 2020.

IEEE Spectrum, "Video Friday: Poimo Is a Portable Inflatable E-Bike," October 9, 2020.

Yahoo, "Researchers built a robot squid that propels itself with a water jet", October 9, 2020.

UNTV, "SquidBot: A Breakthrough for Underwater Exploration", October 10, 2020.

Adafruit, " Researchers built a robot squid that propels itself with a water jet," October 14, 2020.

Mashable, "Let this robotic squid be your guide to underwater life," October 14, 2020.

CNN 10, "Is Space Too Crowded?", October 15, 2020.

Syfy Wire, "Robo-Cthulu: A Robotic Squid Takes The Plunge To See What Lurks In The Eldritch Dark," October 15, 2020.

MSN, "California designers build squid robot that swims underwater", October 16, 2020.

Tech Briefs, "A Squid-Like Robot Swims, Untethered", October 21, 2020.

Polymedia SA, "Un robot calmar pour explorer les environnements marins", December 7, 2020. 


Reversible actuation for self-folding modular machines using liquid crystal elastomer

IEEE Spectrum, "Video Friday (Item #12)", July 17, 2020. 


Granular jamming robot feet for locomotion on natural surfaces

New Atlas, "Coffee-filled feet help off-road robots walk faster", June 1, 2020. 

Popular Mechanics, "How Coffee Grounds Can Help Robots Traverse Uneven Terrain",  June 3, 2020. 

SlashGear, "Robots need coffee too, but not for the reasons you think", June 3, 2020. 

Yahoo, "How Coffee Grounds Can Help Robots Traverse Uneven Terrain", June 3, 2020. 

Daily Coffee News, "Hit The Grounds Running: Coffee-Filled Feet Help Robots Walk Faster", June 5, 2020. 

IEEE Spectrum, "Video Friday (Item #8)", June 5, 2020. 


Electronic skins and machine learning for intelligent soft robots

Tech Xplore, "Reviewing progress in the development of machine learning-enhanced e-skins", May 19, 2020.


Reversible adhesion inspired by the clingfish

Science Daily, "Clingfish Biology Inspires Better Suction Cup", Oct. 16, 2019. 

TechSite, "Clingfish Biology Inspires Better Suction Cup", Oct. 16, 2019.

World Industrial Reporter, "UC San Diego Creates Clingfish-Inspired Suction Devices", Oct. 17, 2019. 

UC San Diego News Center, "Clingfish Biology Inspires Better Suction Cup", Oct. 22, 2019.

UC San Diego, Scripps News, "Clingfish Biology Inspires Better Suction Cup", Oct. 22, 2019. 

New Atlas, "Another Super Suction Cup Channels the Spirit of the Clingfish", Oct. 29, 2019.

Physics World, "Clingfish Inspires Suction Cups for Underwater Robots", Nov. 5, 2019.


Design considerations for 3D printed, soft, multimaterial resistive sensors for soft robotics

DesignNews, "Researchers Get Closer to Design of 'Get Up and Go' Printed Robots", Aug. 28, 2019.


Soft robot perception using embedded soft sensors and recurrent neural networks 

ASME, "To Teach Soft Robot Navigation", June 2019.

Singularity Hub, "Sensors and Machine Learning Are Giving Robots a Sixth Sense", Feb. 17, 2019.

UC San Diego, "See, Think, Predict", Jan. 30, 2019.

EurekAlert, "Engineers build a soft robotics perception system inspired by humans", Jan. 30, 2019.


Translucent Soft Robots Driven by Frameless Fluid Electrode Dielectric Elastomer Actuators

Business Insider (Spain), "Los robots submarinos invisibles con forma de anguila que transformarán la manera de estudiar el mar", Apr. 25, 2018. 

CNET, "Soft and silent eel-like robot can sneak around underwater", Apr. 25, 2018.

Electronics 360 by IEEE GlobalSpec, "Watch a Soft Robotic Eel Silently Swim", Apr. 26, 2018.

Jacobs School News, "Transparent eel-like soft robot can swim silently underwater", Apr. 25, 2018.

New Atlas, "Transparent robotic eel keeps marine biologists – and sea creatures – happy", Apr. 27, 2018.

Popular Mechanics (Russia), "Разработан прозрачный и бесшумный роботизированный угорь", Apr. 27, 2018.

Quartz, "This robot eel is transparent, flexible, nearly silent, and glows in the ocean", Apr. 27, 2018.

Science Daily, "Transparent eel-like soft robot can swim silently underwater", Apr. 26, 2018.

Scripps News, "Research Highlight: Transparent Eel-like Soft Robot Can Swim Silently Underwater", May 1, 2018.

Wissenschaft, "Geschmeidiger Roboter-Aal entwickelt", Apr. 26, 2018.

Yahoo, "This robot eel glides through saltwater without making a sound", Apr. 26, 2018.

Seeker, "This Translucent Robotic Eel Barely Makes A Sound", May 11, 2018.


Self-Folding Swarm Robots

IEEE Spectrum, "Designing Customizable Self-Folding Swarm Robots", Jan 18, 2018.


Haptic Object Visualization using Soft Gripper with Sensor Skin

Jacobs School News, "This soft robotic gripper can screw in your light bulbs for you", May 30, 2017.

IEEE Spectrum, "Video Friday: Robotic Creatures, ROS-Industrial, and Machine Knitting", Oct. 13, 2017.

The Economic Times, "New soft robotic gripper can screw in light bulbs", Oct. 11, 2017.

3Ders.org, "UC San Diego engineers developing smart & soft 3D printed gripper that can figure out what it's holding", Oct. 11, 2017.

New Atlas, "Robotic gripper has a feel for the shape of things", Oct. 12, 2017.

Science Daily, "This soft robotic gripper can screw in your light bulbs for you", Oct. 10, 2017.

Communications of the ACM, "This Soft Robotic Gripper Can Screw in Your Light Bulbs for You", Oct. 12, 2017.

NSF, "This soft robotic gripper can screw in your light bulbs for you", Oct. 10, 2017.


Soft Haptic Glove for Virtual Reality

Jacobs School News, "A glove powered by soft robotics to interact with virtual reality environments", May 30, 2017.

UploadVR, "New VR Glove Uses Muscle-Like Chambers To Simulate Touch", June 7th 2017. 

Kurzweil AI, "VR glove powered by soft robotics provides missing sense of touch", June 2, 2017.

VR Scout, " These gloves let you play piano in VR - and FEEL it", June 9, 2017. 

3D Printing Industry, " 3D printing helps creation of piano playing VR glove at Jacobs School of Engineering ", May 30, 2017. 

3DPrint.com, "Soft Robotics and 3D Printing Used to Make Flexible Gloves that Allow Users to Experience Tactile Feedback in a VR", Jun 1, 2017 .


3D Printed Soft Quadruped

IEEE Spectrum, "3D-Printed Pneumatic Quadruped Robot Adapts to Rough Terrain", May 24, 2017.

Jacobs School News, "3D-printed soft four legged robot can walk on sand and stone", May 16, 2017.

CNN, "New 3D-printed robot can walk on sand and rocks", May 23, 2017.

NBC News, “Robotics Technology Saving Military Lives While Giving U.S. Forces Upper Hand”, May 16, 2017. 

Tech Briefs, "3D-Printed Soft Robot ‘Walks’ on Any Terrain", May 24, 2017.

Yahoo News, "This turtle-inspired soft robot can crawl over terrain like pebbles, sand", May 18, 2017.

TechCrunch, "3D printing soft legs can help a robot walk across rough and rocky terrain", May 19, 2017.


Functionally Graded, 3D Printed Jumping Soft Robot

NBC News, “Robot Combines Hard Shell With Soft Body for Explosive Leaps”, Jul. 7, 2015. 

Time, “How 3D Printing Helps Robots Tackle Their Greatest Obstacle”, July 14, 2015. 

The Washington Post, “This jumping, squishy robot looks like a tiny UFO”, July 9, 2015. 

Los Angeles Times, “Watch it jump! 3D-printed hopper could lead to better rescue robots”, July 9, 2015. 

Business Insider, “This adorable explosion-powered robot hops around like a frog”, July 10, 2015. 

Popular Mechanics, “Nearly Unbreakable Soft Robot Ignites Explosions to Jump”, July 9, 2015. 

Popular Science, “Soft 3d-Printed Robot Propels Itself With Explosions”, July 10, 2015. 

The Boston Globe, “Fire-powered 3-D printed robot can jump like a frog”, Jul. 9, 2015.


Soft Untethered Quadruped

Science, "2015: A Look Ahead", Jan. 2, 2015.

Harvard Gazette, "Cutting the cord on soft robots", Sept. 10, 2014.

New Scientist, "Rubbery robot battles flames, snow and gets run over", Sept. 5, 2014.

Computerworld, "Harvard team develops soft robot that stands up and walks on its own", Sept. 12, 2014.

The Washington Post, "This robot can withstand fire and snow, but that’s not its most impressive feature", Sept. 11, 2014.

IEEE Spectrum, "Freaky Soft Robot Walks Through Fire and Ice", Sept. 8, 2014.

Yahoo News, "Shape-Changing Robot Heralds Major Advance in Soft Robotics", Sept. 11, 2014.


Self-Folding Robots

NBC, "Botmakers, Unite! Origami Robots Could Start 'Transformer' Revolution", Aug. 7, 2014.

New York Times, "Origami Inspires Rise of Self-Folding Robot", Aug. 7, 2014.

CBS, "Watch origami robot spring to life", Aug. 7, 2014.

BBC, "Origami inspires self-folding robot design", Aug. 7, 2014.

Bloomberg, "Science Creates a Self-Folding Origami Robot (Made of Shrinky Dinks) ", Aug. 14, 2014.

The Wall Street Journal, "Self-Folding Robot Based on Origami", Aug. 7, 2014.

Time, "Origami-like Robot Folds Itself Into Shape and Walks Away", Aug. 7, 2014.

Canada.com, "A robot that folds itself up and walks away", Aug. 7, 2014.

IEEE Spectrum, "Self-Folding Origami Robot Goes From Flat to Walking in Four Minutes", Aug. 7, 2014.

Wired, "The Deep Design Thinking Behind MIT’s Incredible Origami Robot", Aug. 7, 2014.

NPR, "Transformer Paper Turns Itself Into A Robot. Cool!", Aug. 7, 2014.

CBC Radio: Quirks and Quarks, "Origami Robot Folds Itself", Sept. 13, 2014.


Self-Folding Structures

Chemistry World, "Flat-pack structures build themselves", July 3, 2013.

Wired, "Showtime: Robot Self-Assembly by Folding: A Printed Inchworm Robot", May 12, 2013.

IEEE Spectrum, "This Crawling Inchworm Robot Can Be Printed Out and Folds Itself", May 7, 2013.


Printable Robots

BBC, "Print-your-own-robots developed in US", April 4, 2012.

CBS, "Robots on demand: MIT aims for printable 'bots", April 4, 2012.

Popular Science, "Video: Design, Program, and Build a Customized Army of Robots In a Day", April 3, 2012.


Programmable Matter

Robots Podcast, "Programmable Matter", August 27, 2010.