The Wyss Institute at Harvard University

Soft robotic actuator for one-sided heart failure

Soft robotic actuators, which are pneumatic artificial muscles designed and programmed to perform lifelike motions, have recently emerged as an attractive alternative to more rigid components that have conventionally been used in biomedical devices. In fact, earlier this year, a Boston Children's Hospital team revealed a proof-of-concept soft robotic sleeve that could support the function of a failing heart.

Hybrid 3-D printing method for flexible electronics

A collaboration between scientists has resulted in a new method for digital design and printing of stretchable, flexible electronics. The process, called Hybrid 3-D printing, uses additive manufacturing to integrate soft, conductive inks with a material substrate to create stretchable, wearable electronic devices.

Low-cost wearables manufactured by hybrid 3D printing

A collaboration has created a new additive manufacturing technique for soft electronics, called hybrid 3D printing, that integrates soft, electrically conductive inks and matrix materials with rigid electronic components into a single, stretchable device.

Soft and stretchy fabric-based sensors for wearable robots

A team of researchers has created a highly sensitive soft capacitive sensor made of silicone and fabric that moves and flexes with the human body to unobtrusively and accurately detect movement.

Tethered soft exosuit reduces metabolic cost of running

Researchers have demonstrated that a tethered soft exosuit can reduce the metabolic cost of running on a treadmill by 5.4%.

Shedding light on how humans walk...with robots

With the recent boom of the robotic exoskeleton industry, more and more patients are being strapped into machines that apply forces to their legs as they walk, gently prodding them to modify their movements by lengthening their strides, straightening their hips, and bending their knees. But, are all patients benefiting from this kind of treatment?

New level of control over the structure of 3D-printed materials

Researchers have developed a new method to 3D print materials with independently tunable macro-and microscale porosity using a ceramic foam ink.

Metabolic energy savings from wearable gait-improving robot

By removing the actuation, electronics and battery units, leaving only the exosuit's light wearable textiles and pulling cables, the researchers were able to calculate the impact on the wearers' joints.

Soft robot helps the heart beat

Researchers have developed a customizable soft robot that fits around a heart and helps it beat, potentially opening new treatment options for people suffering from heart failure.

Mimicking biological movements with soft robots

Designing a soft robot to move organically — to bend like a finger or twist like a wrist — has always been a process of trial and error.

3D-printed organ-on-a-chip with integrated sensing

Built by a fully automated, digital manufacturing procedure, the 3D-printed heart-on-a-chip can be quickly fabricated with customizable size, shape and other physical properties, while allowing researchers to easily collect reliable data for extended times in culture.

The first autonomous, entirely soft robot

A team of researchers with expertise in 3D printing, mechanical engineering, and microfluidics has demonstrated the first chemically powered, autonomous, untethered, entirely soft robot.

Smart sensors can be sutured into tissue

For the first time, researchers have integrated nano-scale sensors, electronics and microfluidics into threads - ranging from simple cotton to sophisticated synthetics - that can be sutured through multiple layers of tissue to gather diagnostic data wirelessly in real time.

Bionic leaf turns sunlight into liquid fuel

The days of drilling into the ground in the search for fuel may be numbered, because if Daniel Nocera has his way, it'll just be a matter of looking for sunny skies.

Using static electricity, RoboBees can land and stick to surfaces

Roboticists demonstrate that their flying microrobots, nicknamed the RoboBees, can now perch during flight to save energy - like bats, birds or butterflies.

Printing metal in midair

The increasing demand for flexible, wearable electronics, sensors, antennas, and biomedical devices has led a research team to innovate an eye-popping way of printing complex metallic architectures as though seemingly suspended in midair.

Wearable exosuits for patients with limited mobility

The soft exosuit — which is a soft wearable robot that is the first of its kind — was developed through extensive prototyping that included the involvement of roboticists, mechanical and biomechanical engineers, apparel designers, and software engineers.

3D material with controllable shape and size

Imagine a house that could fit in a backpack or a wall that could become a window with the flick of a switch.

3D printing a brain to understand its folds

Now, by 3D-printing a fake gel brain and watching it grow scientists have discovered how the human brain develops its folds.

Wearable tech for detecting, treating allergy attacks

Partnership to advance research and development efforts in the early detection and treatment of anaphylaxis.