Cornell noted that its stretchable skin could be used for more than just soft robots. It could, for instance, be used in a vehicle, where the technology could be an information display that can change based on the driver's needs.

It also could be used to create wearables that actually conform to a person's body, such as a smart watch or fitness tracker that's soft and stretchable.

"You could have a rubber band that goes around your arm that also displays information," said Chris Larson, a Cornell graduate student working on the project. "You could be in a meeting and have a rubber band-like device on your arm and could be checking your email. That's obviously in the future, but that's the direction we're looking in."

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