Guest Editorial: Focused Section on Smart Actuation and Multimodal Sensing Systems for Mechatronics Applications, Beyond the Human Capabilities

RECENT years have seen a marked and growing interest within the international research community in the development of advanced actuation systems, such as soft and compliant robots, reconfigurable structures, and bioinspired mechanisms, and in the integration of multimodal sensing platforms, including tactile-, proximity-, inertial-, and vision-based sensors. This focused section aims to provide a high-level platform for researchers, engineers, and industry practitioners to present novel technologies that advance the frontiers of robotics, particularly in the direction of systems capable of performing tasks that are hazardous, monotonous, or otherwise unsuitable for humans. Beyond these conventional applications, particular emphasis is placed on the emergence of human-centric robotic solutions, where intelligent systems are also designed to augment human capabilities in complex, dynamic, and often safety-critical environments. To enable such a transition, the convergence of novel actuation mechanisms and sensor fusion strategies is essential, particularly those that push performance boundaries beyond natural human capabilities in terms of precision, responsiveness, and adaptability. These advanced systems are expected to play a transformative role in multiple domains, ranging from industrial automation and service robotics to healthcare, assistive technologies, and domestic applications. A key challenge remains in ensuring naturalistic interaction, where responsiveness, intelligibility, and adaptability enable seamless collaboration in both human–robot and robot–robot settings. In this context, the synergistic coupling of actuation and sensing functionalities also provides fertile ground for the development of resilient robotic architectures, capable of real-time failure detection, self-adaptation, and functional reconfiguration. This trend is also strongly supported by institutional and government bodies, such as the European Commission and national innovation agencies, which continue to invest in large-scale research and innovation programs. These efforts underscore the importance of multidisciplinary methodological frameworks, robust hardware prototyping, and experimental validation in real-world and out-of-laboratory scenarios.