Soft Robotics Design Competitions

Soft Robotics Design Competition (Returns) 2023

Announcing the annual design and research competitions with cash prizes! 

Accepting submissions July 10th - October 31st

Please register your intent to compete to receive specific competition updates here. The full submission guidelines, full submission form and competition instructions are below!

After a hiatus since 2018, we’re excited to be reviving the SRT annual design competition! Submit your best soft robot demos to demonstrate your creative ideas and concepts. We have three submission categories: open, college, and highschool (the resources of those submitting will determine the correct category; for questions on which category you will best qualify for, contact us.) Anyone can enter, and all will be judged in their own categories on the same criteria. Once entered, your submission will have the chance to win cash prizes and to be featured on our site and mailing lists. The competition will be open to researchers, hobbyists, undergraduates, high school students, and makers of all levels worldwide, with prizes for the best submissions. We encourage you to emphasize your unique contributions, and how your contribution stands out (sustainability, low-cost, simplicity and visual flair are all examples of valid ways to have your design stand out). Here is the full submission form (reminder to register your intent to compete, before filling out the whole form.)

For more information on prizes, specific rules, all judging criteria and submission guidelines, sign up for the SRT mailing list to be notified when we launch the full competition solicitation and details in the coming weeks! Submissions will be accepted starting July 10th and remain open until October 31st. (Pictures: previous submissions from past years (Top: Foam-Based Soft Actuators, Bottom: HPN Manipulator))

Prize Categories:

1. Open Submission

   1. Winner ($1.5k)

   2. Runner Up ($500)

2. College Submission

   1. Winner ($500)

   2. Runner Up ($250)

3. High School Submission

   1. Winner ($500)

   2. Runner Up ($250)

Judging Criteria: 

The judging criteria listed below will be used to determine the winners of the Summer 2023 Soft Robotic Toolkit competition for each of the listed categories. Each project submitted will receive a score from 1-10 in the three below categories. The submissions with the highest combined score across all three of the judging criterias will be selected as the winners.

1. Innovative Design

   1. The submission is state of the art in the soft robotic field

   2. The authors use a creative approach to solve a real world challenge

   3. The submission has the potential to progress the soft robotic field in a meaningful way

2. Presentation and User Considerations

   1. Care and consideration have been taken for the aesthetic presentation of the design submission

   2. The authors have paid attention to the usability and accessibility of the design (how widely can this design be potentially used)

   3. Does this design require fully custom components, or are barriers to entry lowered such that other users will more rapidly be able to adopt the design

3. Well-Documented Methods and Design

   1. The design process is easily understood to a general audience

   2. The submission documentation clearly lays out each step in the fabrication and demonstration process

   3. The design is able to be replicated based on the documentation provided

Submission Guidelines: 

A submission form can be found on our website (here). No matter what prize category you are submitting for, please format your work according to the following outline below (in a word, google doc, or similar form), and complete the google form with the relevant information requested. Additional sections and subsections can be added, but all of the following sections will need to be included in order to be considered for the competition. Please be as detailed as possible, including photos and references where applicable. For reference, please see previously submitted work on our website from past competitions here:

1. Introduction
   1. Title: Name of the work
   2. Abstract: Please include an overview of your project. This must include at least one sentence sharing the significance of your project in the soft robotics field. (~ 1 paragraph)
   3. Background knowledge: Are there any relevant principles, information or research someone should be aware of in order to replicate your project? (~1 paragraph)
2. Authors: Who are your Authors and Co-authors of the work?
3. Design
   1. Component Overview: An overview of the different components of your project. What materials and tools would someone need in order to replicate your project fully?
   2. Material Selection: How were the materials decided on for the project? Are there alternate material solutions that would be adequate, but simplify the design, cost, etc.?
   3. Design Optimization:If experiments were performed to optimize the design, what went into this design process?
4. Fabrication:
   1. Design Process: What are the step by step instructions someone would need in order to replicate your project? (Please include photos/videos where possible)
5. Contribution Significance:
   1. Please include the significance of your project to the Soft Robotics field. How will this contribution progress the field in a meaningful way?
6. References:
   1. Please include a Bibliography of works cited as part of your project
   2. If this is a work that is already published, or on track to be published, please include this as a citation or any relevant information in this section.
7. *Case Study (if applicable)
   1. Please list real-world use cases of your design. How can it have an impact on people, society or communities?
8. Please include one of the following:
   1. Demonstration Video
   2. Detailed photo/s of your design showcasing its use case
   3. This must include engineering designs such as CAD, 3D modeling, circuit designs, etc. delineating your project and the way it works.

Previous Competitions:

The Design Competition showcases exceptional and novel soft robotics technologies submitted from our international community of users. Winning entries in each category have been published within the Soft Robotics Toolkit library, adding to the growing open-source collection of soft robotic components and technologies. 

Entries have been reviewed by judges who are researchers and professionals in the field and the work has been evaluated for novelty, successful prototyping, and quality of documentation.

See Entries from Previous Competitions