Skip to content

12. Soft robotics

Key Notes

  • inflatables
  • artificial muscles
  • movements
  • airflow
  • inflatable art

Soft Robots are systems made of compliant, or flexible materials, such as silicone, rubber, or gels to bend, twist, and deform in a way that is similar to living organisms.

Soft actuators are systems that are compliant and flexible. Used for shape changes, joining, and locomotion: Fluidic, Biological, Thermal, Chemical, Magnetic

Brainstorming

I was really excited to see how inflatables are related with art, fashion and design in general

1-4.jpg

2-3jpg

3.jpg

Check out the weekly assignment [here](http://fabricademy.fabcloud.io/handbook/)

Heat Transfer Vinyl

We had some exercises using vinyl sheets, baking paper and tranferred air through a tube so we could see a certain movement

vinyl 1.jpeg

vinyl 2.jpeg

vinyl 2.jpeg

Vinyl Exercise

I started sketching and playing with the design and different shapes to test the movement

Untitled design (1).jpg

Using the Heat Press Machine to place the vinyl in order to seal the two pieces of vinyl.

heat.png

  • Important Notes

  • the vinyl will be sealed where there no baking paper, creating an air chamber

  • the baking paper will let the object to inflate


The result of the vinyl heart didn't work out cause I did not place properly the baking paper. I also should lower the heat when using the heat pressure machine

IMG_3152

IMG_3154

IMG_3155.jpeg

IMG_3112.jpeg

Silicone

Using Dragon Skin Silicone, we did some exercises to test out the techinque

  • pour liquid substunce A into B
  • avoid air bubbles
  • let it dry for 5 hours

dragon skin prep,jpeg

IMG_2243.jpeg

IMG_2246

Heart 3D Mould

I then used Rhino to create my own mould shape.

heartrhino.jpg.png

  • 3D Printing

3d making heart.jpeg

3d making heart.jpeg

Bio Silicone

Tried the bio silicone recipe, gelatine based followed by Julija Karas page. I added gelatine, water, glycerol and salt.

IMG_2497.jpeg

  • I added too much glycerol which made the material very flexible and sticky. There where also too many bubbles. I would like to try it again with a different recipe.

regina photos inf (3)-2.jpg

Silicone Heart

I used the dragon skin silicone again which dries faster to create the design and inserted mica powder fluid with a syringe

SILICONE HEART.jpg

Results

Overall, I should have inserted the fluids with a different syringe or apply less pressure and glue the two silicone moulds properly

check out the final result here

Tools

  • Rhino 7
  • Ultimate Cura
  • 3D Print

FABRICATION FILES

softrobotics heart STL

softrobotics rhino