Helium-Filled Flapping Soft Robot Designed for Safe Human Interaction
iandanforth · x · 2026-07-14
Researchers have developed a helium-filled soft robot that floats indoors by flapping its wings. Designed for close-range human interaction, its 70-gram body is safe to touch (in early tests, 92% of participants spontaneously touched it). Winning the Best Paper Award at ACM DIS 2026, the study explores the concept of floating companions for company, breathing guidance, or pet interaction, though it currently remains a research prototype.
Related event: Researchers Develop Safe, Helium-Filled Soft Floating Robot(4 posts)→
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