The incredible potential of flexible, soft robots | Giada Gerboni

Robots are designed for speed and precision -- but their rigidity has often limited how they're used. In this illuminating talk, biomedical engineer Giada Gerboni shares the latest developments in "soft robotics," an emerging field that aims to create nimble machines that imitate nature, like a robotic octopus. Learn more about how these flexible structures could play a critical role in surgery, medicine and our daily lives.

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[MrYeezy]

Going up there even with a strong native accent is incredibly admirable and inspiring. Would be a lot cooler if more people could actually complement her in a respectful manner, tho.

[georgwachberg]

content-person-accent, i have never seen a smoother TED talk.

[Zahlenteufel]

Japan will definitely combine this technology with hyper-realistic humanoid androids.

[MCS]

The Surgical use of these soft robots is very interesting.
I perform robotic surgery and would love to help them develop surgical instruments

[metanumia]

Amazing presentation! I want to learn more about this field of robotics now. This is a refinement of traditional robotics that was invented thanks to creative scientists and engineers, such as Giada, who have a set of skills at the crossroads between science, technology, engineering, art, math, observation, and appreciation of nature. This a great example of the brilliant inventions and designs that can arise from the minds and hard work of people provided with a broad education that emphasizes science, art, and nature equally! :)

[doblerollo]

Don't make that face at the end, you did wonderfully!!!

[zenitaly]

So cute, she sounds exaclty as an Florentine Italian girl. Aaah, makes me feel nostalgic. I miss my home town..
But respect to this girl, she's also able to make the audience laugh, intentionally.

[giambattistaradaelli]

I am italian like her so I am very proud about it. Excellent !!

[chemdraw]

Where the frick is Ted, he never shows up!

[sue]

Super interesting, I never thought about using 'soft' robotics before. I can really see how that would be beneficial to movement and stability. Robots are still poor at sensing environments and identifying objects so it would be better if something soft was trying to handle a task than hard metal or plastic whipping away at at an object. The starfish looking robot was almost creepy to look at, almost as if it was controlling itself! I love when scientists copy the natural world, and it seems so intuitive to do that I'm surprised it is not more common in robotics!

[_a_x_s_]

embodied intellegence... It really needs to be properly defined nowadays for soft robotics as it's an inherited terminology. Nice!

[stanleyjohnson]

Very cool. I can envision many applications for the use of soft robots. Great presentation.

[bobbyyankey]

Soft robotics is the way to go. Its application in invasive surgery is enormous.

[masterpieceoneday]

2:13
“You probably think you won’t be able to do anything if you’re soft.”
😳what no not me!

[frontallobotomy]

Crawling robots? Thank you for my insomnia

[alexpskywalker]

Robot octopus? That's gonna make a lot of people happy in the bedroom. If you know what I mean

[beliasphyre]

Live tentacle adult entertainment in our lifetime.

[celestialcircledance]

As a soft creature myself it certainly makes them a lot better looking and easier to relate to :) I can also see real world parallels like gung ho weight lifters who make themselves stronger but more inflexible and muscle bound or the ridgid tree that doesn't bend to high winds and snaps in two .

[miketreker]

Excellent presentation. She carries herself well.

[gohan]

the softer the robots the better it is. we must have always know this.