Advances in Hybrid Rigid and Soft Robotics for Medical and Healthcare Applications
A Special Issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417) belonging to the section "Robotics and Automation".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 March 2027 | Viewed by 27
Editor
Interests: soft robotics; medical robotics; assistive technologies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Medical robots are becoming a fundamental part of health services. Among the most promising developments is the integration of soft and rigid robotic technologies, combining the precision, strength, and controllability of rigid mechanisms with the flexibility, adaptability, and safety of soft structures. These soft–rigid hybrid designs can address a wide range of medical applications without restricting the research fields of the papers to be presented.
Fundamental applications include robots designed as surgical tools to make the work of surgeons safer, more precise, and easier. Soft–rigid hybrid manipulators, flexible instruments, compliant end-effectors, and variable-stiffness mechanisms can provide enhanced dexterity and adaptability while maintaining the accuracy required for surgical procedures, particularly in minimally invasive interventions.
Robotized equipment designed to perform medical examinations and diagnostic procedures is also important. Hybrid robotic systems can combine rigid positioning structures with soft and conformable components to safely interact with patients and anatomical surfaces. The integration of advanced sensing, imaging, and artificial intelligence can further support medical professionals in examination and diagnosis.
Other important applications are related to rehabilitation and assistive technologies. Soft–rigid exoskeletons, orthoses, wearable robots, and rehabilitation devices can support therapies aimed at recovering physical function while providing comfortable and adaptable assistance. Assistive robots can similarly help patients perform daily activities through safe and effective human–robot interaction.
The use of medical robots is also becoming increasingly relevant due to the possibility of limiting physical contact, improving patient safety, and facilitating sterilization in hospital environments. These aspects highlight the importance of robotic systems that can operate safely and reliably in complex clinical scenarios.
In any event, these robots are using the available technologies or aiding the invention of new technologies. Advances in soft materials, compliant mechanisms, sensors, actuators, control systems, and artificial intelligence are creating new possibilities for medical robotics. A.I. is also entering the field, with the aim of supporting doctors, therapists, caregivers, and patients through improved sensing, decision support, adaptation, and personalized assistance.
However, the goal is that these systems will support rather than substitute operators, who remain fundamental to clinical decision-making and patient care.
Dr. Amir Jafari
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- soft–rigid hybrid robotics
- medical robotics
- surgical robotics
- rehabilitation robotics
- compliant mechanisms
- variable-stiffness robots
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