Nature is replete with slender filaments that bend and coil—from climbing grape vines, to folded proteins, to elephant trunks that can pick up a peanut but also take down a tree.

Soft robots have long promised something rigid machines cannot easily deliver. They offer the ability to bend, flex, and ...

Future robots could soon have a lot more muscle power. Northwestern University engineers have developed a soft artificial muscle, paving the way for untethered animal- and human-scale robots. The new ...