Humanoid robots are envisioned as general-purpose platforms in human-centered environments, yet their deployment is limited by vulnerability to falls and the risks posed by rigid metal-plastic structures to people and surroundings. We introduce a soft-rigid co-design framework that leverages non-Newtonian fluid-based soft responsive materials to enhance humanoid safety. The material remains compliant during normal interaction but rapidly stiffens under impact, absorbing and dissipating fall-induced forces. Physics-based simulations guide protector placement and thickness and enable learning of active fall policies. Applied to a 42 kg life-size humanoid, the protector markedly reduces peak impact and allows repeated falls without hardware damage, including drops from 3 m and tumbles down long staircases. Across diverse scenarios, the approach improves robot robustness and environmental safety. By uniting responsive materials, structural co-design, and learning-based control, this work advances interact-safe, industry-ready humanoid robots.

翻译：仿人机器人被设想为以人为中心环境中的通用平台，但其部署受到易跌倒性以及刚性金属-塑料结构对人员和环境构成风险的限制。我们提出一种软-硬协同设计框架，利用基于非牛顿流体的软响应材料来增强仿人机器人的安全性。该材料在正常交互时保持柔顺，但在冲击下迅速硬化，吸收并耗散跌倒引发的冲击力。基于物理的仿真指导保护器的布局与厚度设计，并支持主动跌倒策略的学习。应用于42公斤全尺寸仿人机器人时，该保护器显著降低了峰值冲击力，实现了多次跌落无硬件损伤，包括从3米高度坠落及长楼梯翻滚等场景。在多样化情境中，该方法提升了机器人的鲁棒性与环境安全性。通过融合响应材料、结构协同设计与基于学习的控制，本研究推动了交互安全、工业就绪型仿人机器人的发展。