Stanford engineers create a new robot that combines traditional and soft robotics

One big area of focus for robotics researchers is soft robots that are more appropriate for working directly with humans. Researchers from Stanford University have developed a new kind of soft robot that borrows features from traditional robotics while retaining the ability to move and change shape typically found in soft robots. The team says that a significant limitation of most soft robots that they require an attachment to an air compressor or have to be plugged into a wall keeping them from being able to move.