Soft Robotics and Biodesign Lab

Soft neuroprosthetic hand

A soft neuroprosthetic hand providing simultaneous myoelectric control and tactile feedback

Welcome to Gu Research Group

T
he SJTU Soft robotics and biodesign (SRB) lab focuses on design, manufacturing, modeling and control of new bioinspired, soft robots for safe, compatible and adaptive interactions with humans and environments. SRB Lab is part of Robotics Institute, School of Mechanical Engineering in Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Our current research interests include soft robotics, bioinspired robot design and motion control, smart materials actuators and sensors, and additive manufacturing with soft materials. Example applications include soft wearable rehabilitation robots for assisting and restoring the ability of the humans with the upper extremity weakness in activities of daily living, bioinspired robotic systems for grasping and manipulation, and soft sensing systems for human-robot interaction.

Recent Publication>>More

Physics-informed token prediction based dynamic modeling and high-speed feedforward tracking control of dielectric elastomer actuators, IEEE Transactions on Robotics (2026)

Multimaterial 3D printed soft robots with embedded actuation and sensing, Science Advances (2025)

Semiseparated biphasic bicontinuous dielectric elastomer for high-performance artificial muscle, Science (2025)

Nonlinear modeling of the finite helical deformation of 3D-printed PneuNets, IEEE Transactions on Robotics (2025)

Millimeter-scale fluid-driven soft robots, National Science Review (2025)

Biomimetic rigid-soft finger design for highly dexterous and adaptive robotic hands, Science Advances (2025)

Soft robotic hand with tactile palm-finger coordination, Nature Communications (2025)

Soft multifunctional bistable fabric mechanism for electronics-free autonomous robots, Science Advances (2025)

Multimaterial cryogenic printing of three-dimensional soft hydrogel machines, Nature Communications (2025)

Precise control of soft robots amidst uncertain environmental contacts and forces, IEEE Transactions on Robotics (2024)

All 3D-printed soft high-density surface electromyography electrode arrays for accurate muscle activation mappingand decomposition, Advanced Functional Materials (2024)

A generalized motion control framework of dielectric elastomer actuators: dynamic modeling, sliding-mode control and experimental evaluation, IEEE Transactions on Robotics (2024)

Modeling and design of lattice-reinforced pneumatic soft robots, IEEE Transactions on Robotics (2024)

High-stroke, high-output-force, fabric-lattice artificial muscles for soft robots, Advanced Materials (2024)

Morphological design for pneumatic soft actuators and robots with desired deformation behavior, IEEE Transactions on Robotics (2023)

X-crossing pneumatic artificial muscles, Science Advances (2023)

Group Announcements>>More

[06/21/2026]
Our paper on high-DoF dexterous soft hand with an enhanced thumb-palm composite design has been accepted for publication in the IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (RA-L). Congratulations to Xinyu and co-authors.

[06/17/2026]
Our paper on a high-dexterity soft neuroprosthetic hand has been accepted for publication in the Nature Communications. Congratulations to Ningbin and co-authors.

[05/26/2026]
Our collaborated paper on a motoneuron discharge-driven interface has been accepted for publication in the Science Advances. Congratulations to Chen, Prof. Zhu and co-authors.

[04/28/2026]
Our paper on a reinforcement learning-based path-planning method for cable-driven hyper-redundant robots has been accepted for publication in the Mechatronics. Congratulations to Zhenpu and co-authors.

[02/18/2026]
Our collaborated paper with Prof. Ye Shi from Zhejiang University on low-voltage and high-output dielectric elastomer actuators has been published in the Science Robotics. Congratulations.

[01/26/2026]
Our paper on multimaterial DLP printing has been accepted for publication in the Fundamental Research. Congratulations to Mengjie, Dong and co-authors.

[12/19/2025]
Our paper on physics-informed token prediction based dynamic modeling and control of dielectric elastomer actuators has been accepted for publication in the IEEE Transactions on Robotics (T-RO). Congratulations to Xingyu, Jiang and co-authors.

[12/11/2025]
Our paper on vision-enhanced proximity and tactile sensor has been accepted for publication in the IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics (T-MECH). Congratulations to Yueshi and co-authors.

[11/05/2025]
Our paper on multimaterial 3D-printed soft robots has been accepted for publication in the Science Advances. Congratulations to Zixiao, Dong and co-authors.

[10/31/2025]
Our paper on high-performance artificial muscle has been accepted for publication in the Science. Congratulations to Xiaotian, Jiang and co-authors.

[10/23/2025]
Our paper on fabric-based cellular pneumatic actuators has been accepted for publication in the Science China Technological Sciences. Congratulations to Dezhi and co-authors.

[10/17/2025]
Our paper on high-DOF fabric-based soft glove has been accepted for publication in the Soft Robotics. Congratulations to Jianing and and co-authors.

Videos>>More

Soft neuroprosthetic hand


High-stretchability, ultralow-hysteresis strain sensors for soft machines


Design and modeling of soft parallel robots


Cutaneous ionogel mechanoreceptors for soft machines and prostheses


Soft wall-climbing robot

Hyper-redundant snake robot