PALPABLE and SWAG spotlight the growing potential of soft robotics

Soft robotics continues to gain ground as a field with the power to transform how technology supports people in high-precision, high-impact environments. Two Horizon Europe projects contributing to this momentum are PALPABLE and SWAG, each advancing new approaches to human-centred robotic interaction through flexible systems, intelligent sensing and application-driven design.

As research in robotics moves beyond rigid architectures and toward more adaptive, body-aware systems, projects like these are helping define what that future can look like in practice. Their work reflects a broader push across Europe to develop robotic technologies that are not only technically sophisticated, but also better suited to complex human needs.

PALPABLE is developing a multi-sensing tool for minimally invasive surgery, aiming to improve how surgeons perceive and assess tissue during procedures where direct touch is limited. By combining advanced sensing technologies in a compact robotic tool, the project is working to strengthen precision and support more informed surgical decision-making.

SWAG, meanwhile, is developing soft wearable assistive garments designed to support human movement through adaptive robotic technologies. Its work focuses on wearable systems that can assist the body in a lightweight, flexible and responsive way, opening up new possibilities for movement support and human empowerment.

Together, the two projects highlight an important trend in European robotics: the move toward systems that interact more naturally and effectively with the human body. In both cases, soft robotics is being used not as an abstract concept, but as a practical route toward technologies that can operate in close connection with people and respond to demanding real-world conditions.

This is where the wider significance of projects like PALPABLE and SWAG becomes especially clear. They are contributing to a growing body of work that is expanding the reach of soft robotics into areas where adaptability, safety and intelligent interaction matter most. Their progress helps demonstrate how flexible robotic systems can support both specialised professional tasks and broader human-centred applications, while also strengthening Europe’s position in a fast-evolving area of research and innovation.

At a time when robotics is increasingly expected to deliver not only performance but also responsiveness to human contexts, projects such as PALPABLE and SWAG offer a strong example of where the field is heading. Their continued development adds to the visibility of soft robotics as an area of strategic importance ; and to the growing sense that this is a field moving steadily from promise to impact.

Useful links

PALPABLE
Website: palpable-project.eu
LinkedIn: PALPABLE Project on LinkedIn
Contact: info@palpable-project.eu

PALPABLE: CORDIS project page
SWAG: CORDIS project page