Soft Embodied AI: The Convergence of Flexible Systems and Intelligent Microrobotics
A special issue of Micromachines (ISSN 2072-666X). This special issue belongs to the section "E：Engineering and Technology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 78
Special Issue Editors
Interests: AI assisted structural design; embodied intelligence; soft robotics; bio-inspired soft microsystems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) and flexible engineering has birthed a new frontier: Soft Embodied AI. Traditional rigid robots and isolated flexible devices often struggle with unstructured environments, safe human–machine interaction, and miniaturized intelligent operations—gaps that this interdisciplinary field aims to address. This convergence integrates material science, microfabrication, AI algorithms, and robotics, enabling innovations ranging from medical minimally invasive tools and intelligent manufacturing to environmental monitoring systems. It marks a pivotal shift in how intelligent systems interact with the physical world. We are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue.
This issue aims to present cutting-edge research in the field of Soft Embodied AI, with a core focus on the integrated innovation of flexible systems and intelligent microrobotics technology at the micro/nano scale. It will gather fundamental theories, innovative technical solutions, and practical application explorations in this interdisciplinary field, covering key directions such as material design, micro/nano fabrication, intelligent control algorithms, and system integration. Its goal is to build a comprehensive academic exchange platform that not only reflects the latest research progress in the field but also promotes interdisciplinary cooperation among researchers in areas including micro/nano engineering, artificial intelligence, materials science, and biomedical engineering, accelerating the translation of laboratory results into practical applications—it plans to include at least 10 high-quality original research papers and review articles.
In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:
- Soft Embodied Intelligent Robots;
- AI-Assisted Intelligent Design and Manufacturing;
- Soft Robotics;
- Bio-Inspired Soft Microsystems;
- Flexible electronics.
I/We look forward to hearing from you.
Prof. Dr. Zhigang Wu
Dr. Guoqiang Xu
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Micromachines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- soft embodied AI
- flexible microsystems
- intelligent microrobotics
- soft microrobots
- micro/nano fabrication
- intelligent soft materials
- microscale robotics integration
- soft robotics applications
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