Publications
M. Mousa, A. Comoretto, J.T.B. Overvelde, A.E. Forte, "Multifunctional fluidic units for emergent, responsive robotic behaviors", Advanced Materials, 2025
A. Comoretto, S. Koppen, T. Mandke, J.T.B. Overvelde, "Embodying mechano-fluidic memory in soft machines to program behaviors upon interactions", Device, 2025
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
S. Picella, A. Comoretto, O. Verkaamp, J.T.B. Overvelde, "Harvesting environmental circadian oscillations for energy autonomy of soft robots" (under review)
S. Mohanty*, P. Baconnier*, H.A.H. Schomaker, A. Comoretto, M. van Hecke, J.T.B. Overvelde, "Multimodal motion and behavior switching of multistable ciliary walkers" (submitted)
A. Comoretto, S.D. Gollob, E. Steur, K.P. Becker, E.T. Roche, J.T.B. Overvelde, "Active oscillations of elastic membranes arising from the coupling with a catalytic reaction" (manuscript in preparation)
L. Galassi, A. Comoretto, L. Lorenzon, M. Cianchetti*, J.T.B. Overvelde*, "Coupling torsional instabilities with inverted artificial muscles for a soft artificial heart ventricle" (manuscript in preparation)
Awards
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
Talks & Posters
Functionality through Nonlinearity 2025, Poster (King's College London, UK)
4th International Workshop on Insect Bio-Inspired Technologies 2025, Contributed Talk (Wageningen, Netherlands)
IEEE RoboSoft 2025, Flash Talk + Poster (EPFL, Switzerland)
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)
Outreach & Mentoring
Organizing the Functionality Through Nonlinearity Free-to-all Conferences & Community. We are a collective of researchers exploring the fascinating world of soft, highly deformable structures that render function from structural non-linearities. Our goal is to create a space for knowledge-sharing and collaboration, where latest research and early ideas can be shared with ease, and without artificial restrictions.
Chairing the Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) Robotics 2026 in Ventura, California. Our seminar "Bridging Scales in Robotics for Autonomous Embodied Systems" examines embodied intelligence in robotic systems bridging scales across multiple dimensions: for example, from nano- to mega-structures, from stiff to soft, and from artificial to biological.
Organized the Aesthetic Fusion Workshop at IEEE Robosoft 2025 held in Lausanne, Switzerland. Our workshop focused on the intersection of technology, art, and design in soft robotics. We explored how aesthetics can have an impact on user perception of robots, communication of science to the public, powerful edutainment, and more.
Created a short YouTube movie to share with the general public my research on physical synchronization of self-oscillating limbs published in Science. The movie reached >60k views.
Supervised the master thesis of T. Mandke, "A fluidic antenna for autonomous exploration in soft robots without electronics", Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands, 2025.
Output: research paper (Device, 2025)
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.