Compliant robotics and stiffness controllable soft robotic grippers/hands
(Dr. YH. Chen)

​Soft robotics is a new trend in robotics research, where soft and compliant mechanisms replace the traditional rigid robots to gain extra adaptability and safety features. Soft robots are more promising candidates in human-centred applications including wearable, cooperation, service, assistive scenarios. We are developing a wide range of soft robotic grippers and hands, especially with the ability to control the stiffness to achieve desirable compliance during interaction tasks.

Bionic robots and actuators ​

Bionics is the science of imitating nature. With abundant examples of creatures resulting from millions of years of natural revolution, roboticists could take inspiration (or sometimes direct copy) to robot design. Here in the Bionic and Control Lab we take cues from nature into the design and fabrication of soft bionic robotic actuators and robotic systems, which have the ability to explore and interact within natural terrain, at low computational and fabrication costs. These kinds of bionic robots are soft and compliant in nature, driven by fluid or other flexible means, with minimum rigid components. They are inherently safe to humans and other surrounding objects, while being capable in performing daily interactive tasks.