Nanomaterials have allowed significant breakthroughs in bio-engineering and medical fields. In the present paper a holistic assessment on diverse biocompatible nanocomposites are studied. Their compatibility with advanced fabrication methods such as additive manufacturing for the design of functional medical implants is also critically reviewed. The significance of nanocomposites and processing techniques is also envisaged comprehensively in regard with the needs and futures of implantable medical device industries.

Material properties and composite structures play key roles in tailoring the performance of soft robots. Unfortunately, current design and fabrication approaches limit achievable complexity and functionality in these two categories and hinder soft robot performance. Here, an approach that allows design and direct fabrication of novel soft composite structures is presented. The process uses computational topology optimization to determine the required 3D composite structure of soft hyper‐elastic bodies. The direct fabrication of the soft composite structures using an all‐in‐one fabrication workflow with resilient silicone polymers enables precise tailoring of mechanical properties. By applying this approach to the design and fabrication of an underwater batoid‐inspired soft robot, significant swimming performance improvements is demonstrated. An optimized composite prototype displays 50% faster swimming speeds, 28% faster turning rates, and 55% smaller turning radii than un‐optimized benchmark prototypes.

Soft robotics hardware, with numerous applications ranging from health care to exploration of unstructured environments, suffers from limited life cycles, which lead to waste generation and poor sustainability. Soft robots combine soft or hybrid components via complex assembly and disassembly workflows, which complicate the repair of broken components, hinder upgradability, and ultimately reduce their life spans. In this work, an advanced extrusion-based additive manufacturing process, in situ free-form liquid three-dimensional printing (iFL3DP), was developed to facilitate functional upgrades and repairs in soft robots. A yield-stress hydrogel—a type of material that can maintain its shape until sufficient stress is applied—was first printed directly onto the robot surface, serving as a support for printing new components. This technique enabled the fabrication of advanced components with seamless integration onto already assembled robots. These components could combine multiple materials with intricate geometries, including overhangs and high–aspect ratio shapes, that are considerably challenging to manufacture and integrate via traditional methods such as casting. This approach was successfully applied to upgrade an existing soft robot by adding three advanced functionalities: whisker-like sensors for tactile feedback, a grasping mechanism, and a multifunctional passive whisker array. This study showcases the easy repairability of features, new and old, substantially extending the robot’s life span. This workflow has potential to enhance the sustainable development of soft robots.

Reversibility, a key property in materials science and soft matter, is extremely desirable to enable advanced functionality in soft robots. So far, tunable rigidity has attracted most of the attention, notably for its application in novel soft actuators, soft grippers, and its potential impact in locomotion of soft and hybrid robotic devices. Herein, we review recent progress on reversibility in other physicochemical properties which can also play important roles in the functionality of soft robots. We focus on the tunability of five key properties: electrical and thermal conductivities, surface wettability and adhesion, and optical properties. Materials and mechanisms are described, and performances are assessed, when possible, in terms of reversible tunability range, time response, cycling endurance, and power consumption. The potential integration of such solutions to soft robots is systematically discussed.