2026 | Volume 1 | Issue 1

Biomedical Sciences | Editorial

Soft robots: Skin-inspired Electronic Implant

Inspired by the seamless integration of muscles and skin in vertebrates, the researcher introduces a novel design strategy for soft robots that pairs electronic skin (e-skin) with artificial muscle. This modern strategy, inspired by nature and enabled by a direct, solution-based manufacturing process, allows the formation of a single, biocompatible platform capable of multifaceted sensing and on-demand actuation. These untethered, wirelessly powered robots can achieve adaptive motion and gentle, stress-free interaction with tissues. The versatility of this design is showcased through a range of prototypes, including a blood pressure-detecting robotic cuff, a bladder-monitoring and treatment gripper, a pH-sensing and drug-delivering ingestible robot, and a cardiac function-assessing and electrotherapy-delivering robotic patch. This investigation lays the foundation for a comprehensive design plan that is flexible across a wide array of sensing and responsive materials and can enable soft robotics in medicine and beyond.