ABSTRACT: Since the beginnings of soft robotics more than 20 years ago, the field has
developed into a permanent element in the academic field of robotics, but also in the
research fields of biology, chemistry and computer science. After years of extensive
research into new methods, actuators and sensors, the entire field of research is at a
crossroads: the discipline can only establish itself in the long term if it can successfully
demonstrate that its results have an impact beyond soft robotics on other fields of
research, but especially on people in their daily lives. Soft robotics must therefore
provide added value through new developments for other disciplines and solve the real
problems of real people.

BIO: Prof. Annika Raatz received her Dipl.-Ing. (1997) and Dr.-Ing. (2006) degrees in
Mechanical Engineering from the Technical University Braunschweig, Germany. Prior to
joining Leibniz University Hannover, she was a group leader at the Institute of Machine
Tools and Production Technology at Technical University Braunschweig. Since 2013
Annika is a full professor at Leibniz University Hannover and is head of the Institute of
Assembly Technology and Robotics. Her research focuses on automated assembly
processes, human-robot-cooperation, precision assembly and soft material robotics.
She is chairwoman of the board of the Hannover Centre for Production Technology
(PZH) in Garbsen and prospective Dean of the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
In the field of soft robotics, she is speaker of the priority programme SPP2100: Soft
Material Robotic Systems funded by the German Research Foundation with 13
participating projects across Germany.