Sensor-Embedded Muscle for Closed-Loop Controllable Actuation in Proprioceptive Biohybrid Robots

Biohybrid robots are soft machines powered by living muscle cells, using biological movement to generate motion. While these systems can contract in response to signals like electricity, they currently lack the ability to sense their own actions — they move blindly, without feedback. To address this, researchers at the Soft Robotics Lab led by Professor Robert Katzschmann at ETH Zurich, including Miriam Filippi, Aiste Balciunaite, Antonia Georgopoulou, Pablo Paniagua, Felix Drescher, Minghao Nie, Shoji Takeuchi and Frank Clemens developed a soft, fiber-shaped sensor that can be integrated directly with engineered muscle tissue to detect when it contracts. This sensor is safe, biocompatible, and sensitive enough to pick up tiny movements, allowing the robot to monitor its own state. When linked to a control system, it enables the robot to adjust its behavior in real-time — marking the first step toward self-aware, responsive biohybrid robots. This breakthrough could pave the way for smarter biomedical devices, implantable systems, and a new generation of robots that blend biology and technology.