Overview
- EPFL’s CREATE Lab integrated langoustine abdomen exoskeletons with embedded elastomers, motorized stiffness control, and silicone reinforcement to produce functional devices.
- Demonstrations include a manipulator handling up to 500 grams, multi-shape grippers made from paired shells, and a swimming robot reaching about 11 centimeters per second.
- The approach emphasizes circular design, with exoskeletons detachable from the robotic base and most synthetic internals recoverable for reuse.
- Biological variability led to asymmetric behavior between units, motivating development of tunable controllers and more adaptive augmentation methods.
- The team frames the work as early-stage bio-hybrid hardware with potential future uses such as bio-monitoring platforms or biomedical implants.