Resilient, Efficient and Sustainable Soft Robotics for Real-World Applications
RESSORT is advancing soft robotics from promising laboratory prototypes towards safe, adaptable and sustainable systems that can operate in real-world environments. The project combines self-healing materials, variable-stiffness structures, three-dimensional tactile sensing, artificial intelligence and multi-material additive manufacturing in one integrated innovation pathway.
The technologies will be demonstrated through three sector applications:
- a patient-specific soft exosuit for rehabilitation
- an adaptive soft manipulation solution for food logistics
- a resilient morphing drone for industrial inspection
Each demonstrator will be validated towards Technology Readiness Level 7, providing evidence of performance, safety, sustainability and market readiness.
Why Soft Robotics?
Rigid robots are highly effective in structured environments, but their weight and stiffness can limit safe interaction with people, fragile products and unpredictable surroundings. Soft robotics uses compliant and deformable materials to create systems that can adapt their shape, absorb impacts and interact more safely with users, objects and their environments.
The remaining challenge is to make these systems durable, controllable, manufacturable and commercially viable. RESSORT addresses these barriers together rather than in isolation, linking material innovation with design, sensing, control, manufacturing, validation, certification and exploitation.
RESSORT in Numbers
48 months
Project duration
14 partners
Research, technology, industry, healthcare and innovation expertise
3 demonstrators
Healthcare, food logistics and industrial inspection
7 specific objectives
From materials and sensing to market readiness
TRL 7
Target validation level for the integrated demonstrators
€8.45 million
Maximum EU grant contribution
Core Innovation Areas
- Self-healing elastomers designed to repair damage and extend the useful life of soft robotic components.
- Variable-stiffness structures and actuators that combine compliant interaction with load-bearing performance.
- Soft three-dimensional tactile sensing for reliable measurement of normal and shear forces.
- Integrated design, simulation and multi-material manufacturing workflows for repeatable production.
- Adaptive and uncertainty-aware AI control for safe operation in dynamic environments.
- Sustainability, certification and exploitation pathways embedded throughout development.
Three Demonstrators
Healthcare: Patient-Specific Soft Exosuit
A patient-tailored soft wearable system designed to support rehabilitation through adaptable, compliant and personalised assistance.
Technologies: Self-healing materials | Variable stiffness | 3D tactile sensing | Adaptive AI control | Advanced manufacturing
Food Logistics: Adaptive Soft Manipulation
A soft, adaptive manipulation system designed to handle food products with different shapes, weights and levels of fragility while improving reliability, hygiene and process resilience.
Technologies: Self-healing materials | Variable-stiffness manipulation | Self-closing suction technology | 3D tactile sensing | Adaptive AI control
Industrial Inspection: Resilient Morphing Drone
A collision-tolerant, morphing aerial platform designed for inspection in confined, cluttered or hazardous environments where conventional rigid drones face limitations.
Technologies: Self-healing structures | Morphing and variable stiffness | 3D tactile sensing | Adaptive AI and autonomy | Advanced manufacturing
Latest from RESSORT
Follow the latest news, project updates and key developments from the RESSORT community.