Enter the softbot

While robots have moved from the realm of science fiction to a myriad of real-life uses, the potential of the \´hard-bodied\´ robots of the 21st century remains limited by their stiff construction and lack of flexibility. A group of researchers at Tufts University has launched a multidisciplinary initiative focused on the science and engineering of a new class of robots that are completely soft-bodied. These devices make possible advances in such far flung arenas as medicine and space exploration. The project brings together biology bioengineering and micro/nano fabrication. Our overall goal is to develop systems and devices "soft-bodied robots" based on biological materials and on the adaptive mechanisms found in living cells, tissues and whole organisms. These devices have direct applications in robotics, such as manufacturing, emergency search and retrieval, and repair and maintenance of equipment in space; in medical diagnosis and treatment, including endoscopy, remote surgery, and prostheses design; and in novel electronics such as soft circuits and power supplies. This distinction between biological and man-made objects is so pervasive that our evaluation of artificial or living structures is often made on the basis of the materials alone