Abstract

Soft robotics offers distinct advantages in interaction scenarios through inherent compliance. However, realizing truly intelligent interactions demands addressing fundamental challenges: How can soft robots exploit compliance for adaptive navigation through unstructured environments? How can they achieve precise yet gentle manipulation of delicate and unknown objects? How can they collaborate with humans in ways that are safe, intuitive, and responsive?

The 4th SOFT Frontier Workshop at IROS 2026 explores "Intelligent Interactions" as the next critical frontier in soft robotics, examining how soft robots can achieve sophisticated interactions across three fundamental domains: environmental navigation, object manipulation, and human collaboration. Participants will examine how interdisciplinary advances — from bio-inspired morphologies and proprioceptive sensing to distributed actuation and adaptive control — enable soft robots to perceive their surroundings, plan adaptive behaviors, and act effectively in real-world conditions.

Time: TBD (Sept 27 or Oct 1, 2026)

Location: Pittsburgh, PA, USA

Program and Invited Speakers:

To be announced soon