Robots that bend, twist and adapt through continuous deformation could be used to inspect and maintain the infrastructure of modern society. But challenges related to force application, shape estimation, robustness and contact-aware control will need to be addressed before they can have a practical impact.
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Burgner-Kahrs, J. Creating sustainable infrastructure with continuum robots. Nat Electron (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41928-026-01663-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41928-026-01663-8