Topic: From Design to Fabrication of Artificial Muscles and Soft Robotics

This Special Issue focuses on interdisciplinary innovations and recent practical advances in artificial muscles and soft robotics, a field that is reshaping robotics through the emulation of the flexibility and adaptability of biological systems. Unlike rigid robotics, artificial muscle-powered soft robotics systems leverage compliant materials and biomimetic design principles to interact safely with humans and unstructured environments, enabling breakthroughs in biomedicine, industrial collaboration, disaster relief, and wearable technologies. The journey from conceptual design to practical fabrication is a systematic process integrating biomimetic principles, selection of responsive materials, precision manufacturing, and performance optimization—all of which are core themes of this Special Issue.

We invite high-quality contributions addressing key topics, including: novel artificial muscle actuation mechanisms, development of advanced materials, innovative fabrication technologies (e.g., three-dimensional (3D) printing, microfabrication), performance optimization strategies, and cutting-edge applications. This Special Issue aims to consolidate the latest research, bridge academic exploration and industrial translation, and inspire interdisciplinary collaborations to overcome current challenges, thereby driving the sustainable development of artificial muscles and soft robotics toward more efficient, reliable, and versatile real-world applications.

Key areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

● Artificial muscles and soft actuators;

● Flexible electronics and soft sensing systems;

● Bioinspired soft robotic systems;

● Modeling and control of soft robots;

● Biomedical and wearable applications of soft robotics.

Soft robotics, soft actuators, artificial muscles, flexible electronics, bioinspired robotics, smart materials, programmable materials