Figures from the group's work, grouped by research area. Each one is credited to its paper. Click a figure to enlarge it.
An eversion robot, constructed using our novel fabrication method, in action. Both the main channel of the eversion robot and the navigation PAMs are inflated. The robot everts under an obstacle, curving against gravity.
Mack T, Suulker C, Dawood AB, Althoefer K (2025). Efficient Manufacturing of Steerable Eversion Robots with Integrated Pneumatic Artificial Muscles. Journal of Manufacturing and Materials Processing. Reproduced under CC BY 4.0.
Left: the multi-vine system — two vine robots with soft caps, and a working channel anchored to the caps through which tools are delivered. Right: how it moves — both vines grow forward while the channel is released; locking the channel and pressurising one vine turns the robot left or right.
Kashef R, Suulker C, Sheikhsofla M, Althoefer K (2026). A Multi-Vine Soft Robot Enabling Accessible Working Channel and Steering. Hamlyn Symposium on Medical Robotics. Reproduced under CC BY 4.0.
An eversion robot that carries a tool: the tool (red) travels inside the robot body to the tip, and its tether runs back out through the base mechanism. A ring frame around the body holds its shape.
Sheikhsofla M, et al., Althoefer K (2026). Tool-carrying eversion robot (work in progress). Unpublished. Courtesy of the authors.
(a) Concept of an eversion robot with constrictive bands navigating a colon-like environment. (b) A standard eversion robot getting stuck at a sharp bend. (c) The proposed robot with integrated constrictive bands navigating the same bend. (d) Detail of the constrictive bands.
Suulker C, Haimus MA, Mack T, Sheikhsofla M, Dei NN, Kashef R, et al., Althoefer K (2026). Enabling High-Curvature Navigation in Eversion Robots through Buckle-Inducing Constrictive Bands. arXiv preprint. Reproduced under CC BY 4.0.
An eversion robot with a soft cap and a camera attached to it, squeezing through a narrow opening.
Suulker C, Skach S, Kaleel D, Abrar T, Murtaza Z, Suulker D, Althoefer K (2024). Deformable Tip Mount for Soft Growing Eversion Robots. arXiv preprint. Reproduced under CC BY 4.0.
The soft robotic glove prototype: (a) closing and opening the hand, (b) grasp assistance, (c) lifting an iron (1.3 kg) without a hand in it.
Suulker C, Althoefer K (2024). Assistive Soft Robotic Glove with Ruffles Enhanced Textile Actuators. arXiv preprint. Reproduced under CC BY 4.0.
The fabric soft hand exoskeleton “in action”, grasping and releasing a phone and an iron.
Suulker C, Skach S, Althoefer K (2022). A Fabric Soft Robotic Exoskeleton with Novel Elastic Band Integrated Actuators for Hand Rehabilitation. arXiv preprint. Reproduced under CC BY 4.0.
A textile actuator before and after integrating elastic bands.
Suulker C, Skach S, Althoefer K (2023). Integrating Elastic Bands to Enhance Performance for Textile Robotics. arXiv preprint. Reproduced under CC BY 4.0.
A soft robotic gripper with an active palm for in-hand object reorientation, using soft, 3D printed fingers.
Mack T, Zhang K, Althoefer K (2023). A Soft Robotic Gripper with Active Palm for In-Hand Object Reorientation. arXiv preprint. Reproduced under CC BY 4.0.
The four experimental arenas. A chick can approach a breathing soft interface or a still one, placed (a) horizontally, (b) horizontally with faceplates, (c) horizontally with faceplates and heating pads, and (d) vertically with small faceplates and heating pads. Water and food sit between the two.
Chen J, Mielke A, Althoefer K, Versace E (2026). A Soft Robotic Interface for Chick-Robot Affective Interactions. arXiv preprint. Courtesy of the authors.
Exploded view of the layered e-skin: a superficial FSR layer on top, a compliant spacer in the middle, and a deep FSR layer underneath.
Cong Q, Devillard A, Dawood AB, Zhang X, Fan W, Dei NN, Suulker C, Althoefer K, Burdet E, Zhang D (2026). Layered e-skin for Shear Sensing. arXiv preprint. Courtesy of the authors.
The optical tomography-inspired soft skin sensor. Light sources and detectors arranged around the edge of the soft skin are used to estimate where, and how hard, the skin is being pressed, in real time.
Dawood AB, Denoun B, Althoefer K (2022). Real-Time Pressure Estimation and Localisation with Optical Tomography-inspired Soft Skin Sensors. IEEE International Conference on Soft Robotics (RoboSoft). Courtesy of the authors.
(a) The soft capacitive e-skin clamped in its stretching mechanism. (b) Data acquisition: the skin's terminals are read through multiplexers and a CAV 424 converter into an ADC.
Dawood AB, Coppola C, Althoefer K (2023). Learning Decoupled Multi-touch Force Estimation, Localization and Stretch for Soft Capacitive E-skin. IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA). Reproduced under CC BY 4.0.
The abraded optical fibre-based dynamic range force sensor for tissue palpation, with the optoelectronic system and a pneumatic inlet.
Dawood AB, Chavali VK, Mack T, Zhang Z, Godaba H, Angelmahr M, Althoefer K (2024). Abraded optical fibre-based dynamic range force sensor for tissue palpation. Frontiers in Robotics and AI. Reproduced under CC BY 4.0.
The experimental setup for the variable stiffness force sensor: a modified CNC milling machine with an ATI Mini40 force sensor, a syringe pump and a Keyence optical unit.
Dawood AB, Zhang Z, Angelmahr M, Arezzo A, Althoefer K (2024). Variable Stiffness & Dynamic Force Sensor for Tissue Palpation. Lecture Notes in Computer Science. Reproduced under CC BY 4.0.
Stiffness mapping: (a) a phantom simulating tissue anomalies, with numbered indentation positions; (b) the sensor foil mounted on a robot arm; (c) light attenuation at each position, separating two stiffness levels; (d) the interpolated stiffness map; (e) the map overlaid on the phantom.
Zhang Z, Dawood AB, Violakis G, Abdalwareth A, Flachenecker G, Polygerinos P, Althoefer K, Angelmahr M, Schade W (2025). Flexible Sensor Foil Based on Polymer Optical Waveguide for Haptic Assessment. Sensors. Reproduced under CC BY 4.0.
The hybrid continuum-eversion robot for nuclear environments: selective tip steering enabled by a rigid-component robotic structure (a, b), and the tip design without its nylon sleeve (c).
Al-Dubooni M, Wong C, Althoefer K (2024). Hybrid Continuum-Eversion Robot: Precise Navigation and Decontamination in Nuclear Environments using Vine Robot. IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS). Reproduced under CC BY 4.0.
55 mm pipes that can be taken apart and rearranged for the robot to traverse, mapping the positions of magnets that imitate radiation sources. 1, 3: the two magnets, encased in black plastic. 2: the constriction.
Mack T, Al-Dubooni M, Althoefer K (2023). Eversion Robots for Mapping Radiation in Pipes. arXiv preprint. Reproduced under CC BY 4.0.