Digdeep Podcast: How Do Robots Get Muscles, Prof. Christoph Keplinger?

In the next episode of #digdeep, Christoph Keplinger gives information about advances in robotics.

Even though humanoid robots are increasingly adopting human geometries, with their hard metal forms, they remain much less flexible than humans with adaptable muscles and highly sensitive grippers. Artificial muscles could bring many advantages to robots and also make collaboration between humans and robots safer.

Our studio guest, Prof. Christoph Keplinger, heads the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems (MPI-IS) in Stuttgart after working at Harvard and Colorado. We discuss advances in robotics, particularly the transition from hard to soft materials and the mimicking of natural muscles.

We explore the importance of embodied intelligence and the future of wearable robotics that can be integrated into everyday life. What would it be like if artificial muscles were integrated directly into our clothing?

We want to hear from him about the role creativity plays in the design process and the challenges that arise when translating research into practice. Christoph also shares his experiences as a startup founder and the lessons he's learned from his mistakes.

Just listen in (podcast in German).