Webinar: Modeling Soft Actuators and Devices

Soft actuators are made from compliant materials that respond to stimuli such as pressure, electric fields, heat, or magnetic fields. They are reshaping robotics due to their ability to function through large, flexible deformations instead of rigid links and joints.

That same compliance makes their behavior highly nonlinear and hard to predict. As a result, engineers, researchers, and designers in soft robotics often rely on costly trial-and-error prototyping to turn new concepts into working devices. Modeling and simulation offers a promising way out of that cycle.

In this webinar, we will explore how modeling and simulation with COMSOL Multiphysics can serve as a practical design and optimization tool for soft actuators. We will discuss critical elements of building credible models of soft systems: capturing material behavior, handling large deformations and contact, and coupling multiple physics interfaces.

We will also show how simulation reveals the relationship between input stimulus and actuator response. Real-world examples will illustrate how modeling and simulation lets teams evaluate designs virtually, probe performance limits, and save physical testing for where it matters most.

Attendees will leave with a clear picture of where simulation adds the most value in soft robotics development, the key modeling considerations to keep in mind, and how an informed modeling and simulation approach can reduce physical prototyping and speed up innovation.

Date: Wednesday, December 8, 2026
Time: 11:00 A.M. EST/9:00 A.M. PST

About the speakers

Dr. Nikolaos Vasios
Lead engineer, Veryst Engineering

Dr. Nikolaos Vasios is a lead engineer at Veryst Engineering. Dr. Vasios has expertise in the numerical modeling and finite element analysis of nonlinear solids and structures, with a specific focus on metamaterials and soft robotic applications. His research, primarily driven by computational tools, combines numerical methods, analytical solutions, and experiments for the inverse design and optimization of diverse products, including mechanical metamaterials and soft robots. Dr. Vasios has extensive finite element analysis experience, including with the development of custom applications and tailored workflows that expand beyond the typical capabilities of commercial codes, structural evaluation of pressure vessels for the oil and gas industry, and defect sensitivity of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite panels for the aviation industry. His work provides solutions for infrastructure, consumer products, medical devices, aviation, and the automotive industry.

Tim Culverhouse
Editorial Director, Robotics 24/7

Tim is the Editorial Director of Robotics247.com. His mission is to provide valuable information and insights to robotics professionals and decision-makers, and to help them solve business challenges. He is a creative, deadline-driven and detail-oriented storyteller.

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