The field of soft robotics and human-machine interaction is rapidly evolving, with a focus on developing innovative solutions that integrate biological principles, robotic implementation, and biological validation. Recent research has explored the use of soft robots as experimental tools to probe biological functions and test evolutionary hypotheses, with potential applications in marine exploration, manipulation, and medicine. Additionally, there has been significant progress in the development of wearable exoskeletons, with a focus on creating smart sensing platforms that can capture users' physiological and biomechanical states in real-time. Noteworthy papers in this area include: A bioinspired underwater soft robot framework that integrates biological principles and robotic implementation, enabling new capabilities in underwater movement and interaction. A layered smart sensing platform for physiologically informed human-exoskeleton interaction, which provides real-time perception to support personalized assistance and injury risk detection. An adaptive model-predictive control framework for soft continuum robots, which demonstrates accurate tracking of dynamic trajectories and setpoint control with end-effector position errors below 3 mm.