RESSORT Objectives
An Integrated Path from Core Technologies to Market-Ready Demonstrators
RESSORT is organised around seven Specific Objectives. Together, they address the complete pathway required to move soft robotics towards real-world deployment: materials, structures, sensing, design and manufacturing, intelligent control, system validation, and market and societal uptake.
Sustainable Self-Healing Materials
Develop reliable self-healing elastomers that can autonomously repair damage while achieving the mechanical performance and processability required for soft robotic components. The work supports sustainability through longer component life, lower maintenance needs and more circular use of materials.
Variable-Stiffness Structures, Actuators and Self-Closing Suction Cups
Create soft robotic structures and actuation concepts that can switch between compliant interaction and load-bearing performance. RESSORT will also develop passive self-closing suction cups that automatically seal when activated without contact, reducing vacuum losses and supporting reliable, energy-efficient handling of irregular objects. This will help robots remain safe around people while delivering the strength and stability required for useful tasks.
Soft Three-Dimensional Force Sensing
Develop affordable and robust tactile sensing that measures normal and shear forces in soft, deformable systems. Reliable touch information is essential to complement vision for robot learning, adaptive manipulation, human-robot interaction and closed-loop control.
Advanced Design and Manufacturing Methods
Establish an integrated design-to-fabrication pipeline for soft robots, combining co-design, simulation, design for additive manufacturing, multi-material production and sustainability assessment. The objective is to make complex soft robotic components more repeatable, scalable and accessible.
Intelligent Control and AI
Develop adaptive, uncertainty-aware control and AI methods that learn from multimodal data and respond safely to changing environments. The control stack will support perception, state estimation, adaptation, fault awareness and human-robot interaction.
Demonstration in Real-Life Scenarios
Integrate and validate the technologies through three demonstrators: a healthcare exosuit, an adaptive food-logistics manipulation system and a resilient inspection drone. The integrated systems will progress towards TRL7 and generate evidence on performance, safety, ethics and sustainability.
Market Readiness and Impact Maximisation
Translate technical results into viable pathways for uptake through business models, IP and exploitation planning, certification and standards roadmaps, investor engagement, communication, dissemination, training, policy dialogue and open resources.
What Success Looks Like
- Soft robotic components that are more durable, repairable and sustainable
- Structures that combine softness with useful force and payload capabilities
- Tactile sensing and AI control that improve adaptation and safe interaction
- Repeatable design and manufacturing methods suitable for research and industrial uptake
- Three integrated systems validated in realistic healthcare, logistics and inspection environments
- Evidence packages that support certification, standardisation, investment and commercialisation
- Open tools, datasets, publications, training materials and policy outputs that enable wider reuse