Enhancing Capability in Space Environments: The Potential of Soft Robotic Systems

Robotic operation in space faces a consistent trade-off between building simple and resilient systems to withstand the extreme conditions, and maintaining flexibility in the robotic system to keep up with rapidly changing conditions. Soft robotics offers the promise of robotic performance in unstructured environments. This Research Topic will bring together two fields to discuss challenges and potential solutions: those of space manipulation and soft robotics. Topics will range from space assembly and manipulation, manufacturing, to debris interactions and beyond.

We aim to bring together researchers working at the intersection of space robotics, manipulation and soft robotics. The challenge of operation in extreme and unpredictable environments is applicable to a broad range of robots, across different sizes and functionalities. Soft robotics brings a new perspective for space challenges, offering materials and mechanism solutions to complement conventional rigid robots. Soft robotics presents a compelling case for space exploration primarily due to its advantages over rigid robotics. These robots are inherently more adaptable to unpredictable environments, offer greater flexibility and resilience in handling various tasks such as repairs, exploration and sample collection on celestial bodies. Their ability to conform to irregular surfaces and withstand impact makes them ideal for navigation in rough terrain and confined spaces, crucial for missions involving planetary exploration and asteroid mining.

Sensing, control, and planning are critical for developing soft robots for space applications, where unpredictable and extreme environments demand high adaptability and autonomy. Advanced sensing enables perception in low-visibility or unstructured terrains, while robust control and planning algorithms ensure safe interaction with delicate structures and efficient task execution without direct human oversight.

Moreover, the lightweight and compact nature of soft robots reduces operational complexity and launch costs, enabling more efficient and cost-effective space missions. By leveraging these capabilities, soft robotics not only enhances the feasibility of complex space missions, but also expands the scope of scientific exploration beyond what rigid robots can achieve. To focus the discussion, the Research Topic will be split into three thematic sections: materials, mechanisms and robots. All of these topics are highly relevant to the space robotics community, and soft robotic technologies have been developed for each of them, albeit not necessarily specifically for extreme environment applications. We plan to encourage experts in space robotics, materials science, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, from industry, academia and government organizations to contribute on these topics, helping to develop common themes and solutions.

This Research Topic is linked to the workshop of the same name, taking place at the 2025 International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) in Atlanta, USA, on May 19th 2025. We welcome submissions from attendees to the workshop, as well as relevant contributions from those who did not attend. Any papers previously published as conference proceedings should be extended to include 30% original content.