Round 2

Rina Caballar

Nationality

New Zealander

Career-level

Mid-career

Host institution

Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT)

Italy

Residency project

Bioinspired soft robotics: Next-generation robots nurturing nature

Nature has often inspired innovation in science and technology. But the field of bioinspired soft robotics is taking that inspiration f urther, building biodegradable and battery-free robots with low environmental impact. These soft robots mimic the biological structures and ways by which plants and animals grow and move. They’re also nurturing nature — their source of inspiration — through the first shape-shifting and luminescent robot seeds that monitor soil quality parameters and a biohybrid robot that acts as a transport vessel for seeds during reforestation, among other potential applications.

My project aims to examine the frontier research happening in bioinspired soft robotics, including the development of novel materials and engineering methodologies, as well as the emergence of new concepts to replicate the growth, movement, and structure of living beings in robotic technologies.

To help disseminate research findings, I’ll be cultivating story leads and pitching articles to publications. I also plan to create a podcast (either my own or pitched to a network) — a series of profiles or behind the scenes about women and other underrepresented groups at the forefront of frontier research in tech.

For my own career advancement, I hope to increase my understanding of scientific processes and learn to better communicate and interact with scientists. I also envision improving my existing knowledge of computing and gaining new knowledge in disciplines like biology, materials engineering, and robotics. All these will help improve my reporting and interviewing skills, strengthen my writing process, and enrich the stories I craft.

The stories and podcast I aim to create will enhance trust in both science journalism and science itself by explaining the mechanisms behind science so it’s not a black box. I’ll also engage with researchers about how science journalism works to instill more trust in the process.