Soft Matter podcasts

Jonathan Webb and ABC science reporter Ellen Phiddian examine textile absorbency and why an older tea towel can sometimes dry better than a new one. The discussion connects everyday fabric performance with the behaviour of fibres and considers when a worn towel should be replaced.

Hosted by Jonathan Webb

Heinrich Jaeger explains how granular jamming can turn a soft bag of particles into a rigid gripper capable of grasping objects with different shapes. The discussion connects the physics of interacting grains with the design of compliant robots and a universal gripper developed by an interdisciplinary research team. Andrzej Grzesiak then describes a bio-inspired manipulator developed with Festo: additive manufacturing, an elephant-trunk-like arm and a fish-fin-inspired gripping mechanism provide alternatives to conventional rigid industrial manipulators.