Brief Description: A soft actuator, comprising: a deformable member having a base stiffness; one or more electroadhesive (EA) clutches, the one or more EA clutches being in mechanical communication with the deformable member, and the one or more EA clutches being configured to, when actuated, give rise to a region of relative stiffness within the actuator that is greater than the base stiffness. A method, comprising: in a soft actuator, actuating one or more EA clutches in mechanical communication with a deformable member having a base stiffness, the actuating being performed so as to give rise to one or more regions of relative stiffness within the soft actuator that is greater than the base stiffness; and effecting a bending force within the deformable member such that the deformable member attains a shape, the shape at least partially defined by the actuated one or more EA clutches. Intellectual Property Title: Intellectual Property: Intellectual Property: US20230378891A1 Docket Number: Docket#: 22-10078 Reference Media Title: Reference Media: