Publications - Alberto Comoretto

A. Comoretto, H.A.H. Schomaker, J.T.B. Overvelde, "Physical synchronization of soft self-oscillating limbs for fast and autonomous locomotion", Science, 2025

S.D. Gollob, A. Comoretto, Q. Yu, M. Fernandez, K. Adebajo, J.T.B. Overvelde, K. P. Becker, E.T. Roche, "A pressure-amplifying monopropellant engine for actuator-localized pneumatic power", IEEE Robosoft, 2025

L.C. van Laake*, A. Comoretto*, J.T.B. Overvelde, "On the coexistence of pressure regulation and oscillation modes in soft hysteretic valves", Journal of Fluids and Structures, 2024 (*Co-first author)

A. Comoretto, T. Mandke, J.T.B. Overvelde, "Embodying mechano-fluidic memory in soft machines to program behaviors upon interactions" (under review)

A. Comoretto, S.D. Gollob, K. P. Becker, E.T. Roche, J.T.B. Overvelde, "Active oscillations of elastic membranes emerging from delays in a catalytic reaction" (manuscript in preparation)

S. Picella, A. Comoretto, O. Verkaamp, J.T.B. Overvelde, "Harvesting environmental circadian oscillations for energy autonomy in soft robots" (manuscript in preparation)

S. Mohanty, H.A.H. Schomaker, A. Comoretto, P. Baconnier, M. van Hecke, J.T.B. Overvelde, "Buckling-induced navigational autonomy and sensing in soft robots" (manuscript in preparation)

L. Galassi, L. Lorenzon, A. Comoretto, M. Cianchetti, J.T.B. Overvelde, "Coupling torsional instabilities with inverted artificial muscles for a soft artificial heart ventricle" (manuscript in preparation)

First Place Award, IEEE RoboSoft 2024 Competition, Soft robotics on a budget: democratization of soft robotics through embodied intelligence, San Diego, USA, 14/04/2024. Our soft robot, Tubot, costs only 3 dollars and harnesses mechanical interactions and light sensing to achieve untethered, autonomous phototaxis. A simple robot with complex behaviors!

Best Poster Award, Dutch Soft Robotics Symposium 2023, University of Twente, Netherlands, 17/05/2023

Best Poster Award, GRC Gordon Research Conference Robotics 2022, Ventura, USA, 19/08/2022

Dutch Soft Robotics Symposium 2024, Contributed Talk (Eindhoven, Netherlands)

GRC Gordon Robotics 2024, Poster (Ventura, USA)

GRS Gordon Robotics Seminar 2024, Long Contributed Talk (Ventura, USA)

KLEIN Colloquium 2023, Invited Talk (AMOLF, Netherlands)

Dutch Soft Robotics Symposium 2023, Poster (Best Poster Award) (University of Twente, Netherlands)

APS March Meeting 2023, Contributed Talk (Las Vegas, USA)

Dutch Soft Matter Meeting 2022, Soundbite (TU Eindhoven, Netherlands)

Modern Mechanics Seminar 2022, Contributed Talk (AMOLF, Netherlands)

Dutch Soft Robotics Symposium 2022, Contributed Talk (TU Delft, Netherlands)

GRC Gordon Robotics 2022, Poster (Best Poster Award) (Ventura, USA)

ESMC 2022, Contributed Talk (University of Galway, Ireland)

APS March Meeting 2022, Contributed Talk (Chicago, USA)

Chairing the Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) Robotics 2026 that will be held in Ventura, California. The current idea is to create talk sessions focused around the simplicity-complexity dichotomy in robots and devices. We will explore seemingly simple phenomena for complex, unexpected, yet useful behaviors, at the intersection of biology and machinery.

Organizing the Aesthetic Fusion Workshop at IEEE Robosoft 2025 that will be held in Lausanne, Switzerland. Our workshop focuses on the intersection of technology, art, and design in soft robotics. We will explore how aesthetics can have an impact on user perception of robots, communication of science to the public, powerful edutainment, and more.

Supervised the MIT Summer Research Program of Matthew Fernandez, "A controllable propellant-based power source for untethered soft robots", Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA, 2024.
Output: research paper (in preparation)

Supervised the master thesis of O. Vaarkamp, "Thermopneumatics for energy autonomous soft robots: harvesting thermal energy from circadian oscillations", Eindhoven University of Technology, Netherlands, 10/04/2024.
Output: research paper (in preparation)

Supervised the master thesis of L. Galassi, "Design of a soft actuation system based on mechanical instabilities for an artificial heart ventricle", Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Italy, 21/04/2023.
Output: research paper (in preparation)

Organized a hands-on lab tour for the general public at the Amsterdam Science Park Open Day 2023. We showcased our Soft Robotic Matter Lab to both adults and kids, offering a glimpse into the future of soft robots and unconventional mechanics.

Organized a workshop for kids "Falling eggs don't break" (in Dutch "Vallende eieren breken niet") at the Amsterdam Science Park Open Day 2022. Using everyday materials like paper and straws, kids designed and built structures to protect chocolate eggs falling from the second floor, exploring the wonders of morphology and creative engineering.