Soft robots inspired by nature can crawl, swim, grasp delicate objects, and even assist a beating heart, but none of them has been able to sense and respond to the world around thehi. Inspired by the human body's sensory capabilities, a new platform creates soft robots with embedded sensors that can sense movement, pressure, touch, and temperature.Integrating sensors within soft robots has been difficult in part because most sensors, such as those used in traditional electronics, are rigid. To address this challenge, an organic, ionic, liquid-based conductive ink was developed that can be 3D-printed within the soft elastomer matrices that comprise most soft robots.
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