Magnetically aware actuating composites: Sensing features as inspiration for the next step in advanced magnetic soft robotics

Abstract

The integration of magnetic soft actuators and printed magnetic field sensors presents a compelling strategy for advancing soft robotics, with transformative implications for interactivity. This Perspective discusses the synergy between these technologies, which combined will provide mechanically conformal feedback systems to tracking complex dynamics at high speeds and increase environmental compatibility. These insights are meant to guide the field toward a future where multifunctional magnetic composites with printable, transparent, healable, and biocompatible properties operate seamlessly in parallel, reshaping the possibilities of soft robotics.