We cordially invite you to the 2025 Symposium on the Future of Soft Robotics, to be held at the Werkhof in Hannover, Germany. This prestigious event will feature keynote addresses from leading experts, as well as poster and teaser presentations showcasing the latest research and innovations in soft robotics. Participants will also engage in thought-provoking discussions on the future directions of this rapidly evolving field. Join us to exchange knowledge, foster collaboration, and contribute to shaping the next generation of soft robotics technologies.
We are pleased to invite you to contribute to the upcoming Symposium on the Future of Soft Robotics, organized by the DFG Priority Programme SPP2100. The event will be held in person, providing an excellent opportunity to engage with leading experts in the fields of Soft Robotics, modelling and control, morphological computation and embodied intelligence, and material science.
We are seeking teaser talks from attendees that would like to take the opportunity to introduce their research and open discussions on potential future collaborations. Each teaser talk will be followed by a poster session, where you can dive deeper into your research with fellow attendees and explore possibilities for collaboration.
Submission guidelines
We look forward to your participation and the exciting discussions that will shape the future of soft robotics research!
For more information and submission details, please contact the organizing team at spp2100@match.uni-hannover.de.
The submitted papers will not undergo a review process or be published.
Perla Maiolino is an Associate Professor in Engineering Science at the University of Oxford and a member of the Oxford Robotics Institute. She earned her BEng, MEng, and PhD from the University of Genoa, focusing on developing large-area tactile sensors for robots. Her research centers on providing robots with a sense of touch, crucial for tasks like object manipulation and human-robot interaction. She has developed soft tactile sensors that mimic human touch, enabling robots to perceive textures, pressure, and shapes with high precision.
Prof Jamie Paik is the director of the Reconfigurable Robotics Lab (RRL) at EPFL. She is a pioneer in soft robotics, known for developing robogamis, foldable robots inspired by origami that can change shape and function. Her work focuses on creating adaptable, lightweight, and sustainable robots for medical, exploratory, and everyday applications. Paik’s innovative designs challenge traditional robotics, emphasizing flexibility and integration into daily life. She continues to shape the future of robotics with her groundbreaking contributions.
Helge Wurdemann is a leading researcher in soft robotics and a professor at University College London (UCL), where he heads the Soft Haptics and Robotics Lab. His work focuses on creating highly dexterous and compliant robotic systems inspired by natural structures and movements. Wurdemann has pioneered developments in robotic manipulators with soft, adaptable properties for use in medical and industrial applications. His designs aim to enhance human-robot interaction, particularly in delicate tasks like minimally invasive surgery.
Day 1 - Wednesday 9th April 2025
| Time | Topic | Speaker |
| 08:30 | Registration & Welcome Coffee Break | |
| 09:00 | Opening Remarks | Annika Raatz |
| 09:30 | Keynote Talk 1 | Jamie Paik |
| 10:30 | Coffee Break | |
| 11:00 | Invited Talk | Andreas Müller |
| 11:20 | Invited Talk: Dielectric Elastomer Transducers for Medical Applications | Bert Müller |
| 11:40 | Teaser Presentations | Contributors |
| 12:40 | Lunch Break | |
| 14:10 | Teaser Presentatios | Contributors |
| 15:40 | Coffee Break | |
| 16:10 | Keynote Talk 2 | Helge Wurdemann |
| 17:10 | Group Photo | |
| 17:20 | Poster & Demos Session with Drinks | |
| 19:00 | Welcome Dinner |
Day 2 - Thursday 10th April 2025
| Time | Topic | Speaker |
| 09:00 | DFG Funding Options | DFG Representative |
| 09:15 | Active Suction Device for Deep-Sea Applications | Annika Raatz & Tom Kwasnitschka |
| 09:45 | Soft Material Tendon-Driven Serial Manipulators | Remco I. Leine & Bastian Deutschmann |
| 10:15 | Coherent Methodology for Modelling and Design of Soft Material Robots - The Soft Material Robotics Toolbox | Annika Raatz & Thomas Seel & Jörg Wallashek |
| 10:45 | Coffee Break | |
| 11:15 | Smart Elastomers for Soft Robotics Application | Amit Das & Andreas Fery |
| 11:45 | Wireless Miniature Medical Soft Robots Inside our Body | Christoph Keplinger |
| 12:15 | Photomechanical Soft Grippers | Anne Staubitz & Stanislav N. Gorb |
| 12:45 | Lunch Break | |
| 14:15 | Soft Material Actuator / Sensor Concepts for Three-Dimensional Soft Robotic System | Gianluca Rizzello & Stephan Seelecke |
| 14:45 | Intelligent Polymer Materials as Actuators and Sensors for Soft Robotics Applications | Sabine Ludwigs & Holger Steeb |
| 15:15 | Biomimetic Robots Autonomously Driven by Dielectric Elastomers | Tobias Kraus & E.-F. Markus Vorrath & Uwe Marschner |
| 15:45 | Coffee Break | |
| 16:15 | Soft Tensegrity Structures | Lena Zentner & Valter Böhm |
| 16:45 | Break & Room Preparation | |
| 17:00 | Poster & Demos Session with Drinks | |
| 18:30 | Break | |
| 20:00 | Dinner at Brauhaus |
Day 3 - Friday 11th April 2025
| Time | Topic | Speaker | |
| 09:00 | Keynote Speaker 3 | Perla Maiolino | |
| 10:00 | Co-Design of Feedback Control and Soft Morphology for in-Hand Manipulation | Oliver Brock | |
| 10:20 | Enhanced Robotic Gripper Optimization: Simulation using Machine-Learning | Thorsten Pöschel | |
| 10:40 | SPP2100 ends - What's next? | Tobias Kraus | |
| 11:00 | Coffee Break (Informal Discussion about Future Funding Options) | ||
| 11:30 | Panel Discussion on the Future of Soft Robotics | Helge Wurdemann, Perla Maiolino, Sabine Ludwigs, Matteo Cianchetti, Annika Raatz | |
| 13:00 | Closing Remarks | Annika Raatz | |
| 13:30 | Lunch Break | ||
| 14:30 | Lab Visits at "Einstein Elevator" at HITech (Hannover Institute of Technology) | ||
| 15:30 | match Institute (inkl. Travel Time) |
Integration of Compliant Robot Systems into Real-Time Virtual Commissioning Simulations
Philip Scharf , Tobias Krüger, and Maximilian Dieter
Fraunhofer IWU
download.paper.pdf
Development and implementation of a robot structure with adaptive stiffness by combining particle and layer jamming
Linda Weisheit, Lukas Boxberger, and Elena Dietrich
Fraunhofer IWU
download.paper.pdf
Robot Assisted Percutaneous Tumor Biopsy and Ablation in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
Marcel Gutberlet
Hannover Medical School
Soft Robotics For Industrial Application And Beyond
Alix Partridge
The National Robotarium
Beyond logic: soft valves for resilient soft robots
Marco Pontin and Perla Maiolino
Oxford University
Hybrid Data-Driven and Mechanical Inverse Modeling for Trajectory Tracking Control of Soft Robots
Malte Grube and Robert Seifried
Hamburg University of Technology
Towards untethered minimally invasive surgery: origami-based soft actuators
Alexia Le Gall, Mattia Franchi de' Cavalieri, and Matteo Cianchetti
The BioRobotics Institute
Position and Orientation Control for Hyper-elastic Multi-segment Continuum Robots
Jialei Shi, Sara-Adela Abad, Jian S Dai, and Helge A. Wurdemann
University College London and Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
Soft-Tipped, Compliance Controllable Sensor for Measuring Forces During MIS
Duncan G. Raitt, Sara-Adela Abad, Shervanthi Homer-Vanniasinkam, and Helge A. Wurdemann
University College London
Extended Abstract: Enhancing Fatigue Life of Soft Robotic Fingers through Advanced TPU Materials and Innovative Manufacturing Techniques
Philipp Heidemann, Dr. Werner Pauer, and Mostafa Aziz
Institute for Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry, University of Hamburg
Institut für Montagetechnik und Industrierobotik
Produktionstechnisches Zentrum Hannover
An der Universität 2
30823 Garbsen
Coordinator
Institute of Assembly Technology and Robotics
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Annika Raatz
An der Universität 2
30823 Garbsen
Förderung
Dieses Schwerpunktprogramm wird mit Mitteln der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) gefördert. Die Verantwortung für den Inhalt dieser Veröffentlichung liegt beim Autor.
©2025 match. All rights reserved.
