The field of soft robotics is moving towards the development of more advanced and capable systems, with a focus on creating robots that can interact with and manipulate their environment in a more nuanced and effective way. This includes the development of new materials and structures, such as kirigami robots, that can provide multifunctional and adaptable solutions. Additionally, researchers are working on improving the control and manipulation capabilities of soft robots, including the development of new algorithms and frameworks for tasks such as grasping and manipulation. Notable papers in this area include: Optimal swimming with body compliance in an overdamped medium, which introduces a compliant extension of Purcell's three-link swimmer and demonstrates accurate prediction and optimization of locomotor performance. Shape-Space Graphs: Fast and Collision-Free Path Planning for Soft Robots, which presents a graph-based path planning tool for an elephant-trunk-inspired soft robotic arm and demonstrates reliable obstacle avoidance and energy-efficient planning. Everything-Grasping (EG) Gripper, which synergistically integrates distributed surface suction with internal granular jamming, enabling cross-scale and cross-state manipulation without requiring airtight sealing.