Looking for Demonstrator Partners and Functional Materials Experts for Soft Robotics Proposal (Horizon Europe - AI/Data/Robotics Partnership)

We are preparing a proposal for the Horizon Europe call HORIZON-CL4-2025-04-DIGITAL-EMERGING-05, focused on the development and demonstration of novel soft robotic systems using advanced materials, non-rigid design methods, and adaptive control techniques.

Our team at Sabancı University (Istanbul, Türkiye) brings strong expertise in:

• Soft robotics design and prototyping

• Thermally actuated and stiffness-programmable systems

• AI-driven control and modeling of soft robotic components

We are seeking:

1. Demonstrator Partners / Platform Owners
   to co-develop and validate soft robotic applications in real-world environments. Sectors of interest include:

   • Healthcare (e.g., rehabilitation robotics, assistive devices)

   • Manufacturing (e.g., collaborative or adaptive robotics)

   • Logistics/Transportation (e.g., soft grippers, mobile robots)

   • Inspection and Maintenance (e.g., soft-bodied robots for confined spaces)

2. Functional Materials Experts
   to support the replacement of PLA-based elements in our current prototypes. Ideal profiles include:

   • Research institutions or companies working on smart polymers, EAPs, SMPs, LCEs, or soft composites

   • Groups with simulation and mechanical characterization capabilities for new material integration

We offer a strong technical foundation, including published research on programmable-stiffness soft actuators, and are ready to co-develop impactful demonstrators and advance the European soft robotics ecosystem.