On the Design of a Soft Robotic Neck for the Social Robot HARU

This paper focuses on the application of soft robotics in the area of social interaction, and presents a modular approach on the design of a soft robotic neck for integration with the social robot HARU. The proposed design incorporates soft robotics and additive manufacturing principles, enhancing safety through compliance for absorbing contacts with users or objects, while modularity allows for easy replacement or upgrade to meet HARU’s specific application requirements. The paper discusses the conceptual design specifics of the soft robotic neck and provides an overview of the prototype development stages and its main functionalities.