Soft robotic modules have potential therapeutic and educational purposes. However, they need to be safe, soft, smart, and customizable to serve individuals’ different preferences and personalities. Safe modular robotic products made of silicone materials, programmed by artificial intelligence algorithms and developed via additive manufacturing are the focus of studies on safe, tactile interactions between humans and robots to translate physical communication, including slapping, squeezing, and tickling, to auditory communication. The model builds on the concept of how safe human–robot physical interactions could be used to therapize the user’s emotional problems.
This work has been conducted by a group of researchers from Australia, Germany, and the UK, and the results have been published in the following article:
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/14/16/3302