Are synthetic muscles the wave of the future in robotics? The goal of the investigation into the potential applications of biodegradable artificial muscles for soft robotics, led by the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems (MPI-IS), was to provide an answer to this topic.“We see an urgent need for sustainable materials in the accelerating field of soft robotics. Biodegradable parts could offer a sustainable solution especially for single-use applications, like for medical operations, search-and-rescue missions, and manipulation of hazardous substances. Instead of accumulating in landfills at the end of product life.