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8. Soft robotics

Research

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Soft robotics is an innovative field in robotics that focuses on the design and construction of robots using materials that mimic the flexibility and adaptability of natural organisms. Unlike traditional rigid robots, soft robots are made of materials such as silicones, gels, and elastomers, allowing them to perform delicate tasks, adapt to unstructured environments, and interact safely with humans and fragile objects.

The principles of soft robotics draw inspiration from biological systems, enabling robots to achieve movement, grip, and morphing capabilities that are challenging for rigid designs. These qualities make soft robotics ideal for applications in fields like medicine (e.g., prosthetics and minimally invasive surgery), agriculture (e.g., fruit harvesting), and exploration (e.g., navigating irregular terrains).

For Fab Academy, integrating soft robotics offers exciting opportunities to explore innovative materials and digital fabrication techniques, such as 3D printing, laser cutting, and molding, to create functional and customizable robotic solutions. Through hands-on experimentation, this project will aim to highlight how soft robotics can revolutionize automation and human-robot interactions.

Inspiration




Results

Elastic vinil For this activity, the first thing I did was design a lotus flower in PowerPoint and I worked on that file in Illustrator. Then I used the Cutstudio program, which is the one used by the vinyl cutting machine. I only kept the edges and made the "pair" of my design. I used orange thermoadesive vinyl.




It's been a long time since I cut vinyl, so to resolve my doubts about how to prepare the files and use the machine I used:

Once the vinyl has been cut, it is necessary to assemble the pieces. The first step is to remove the edges "starting to peel".


When the pieces are assembled, the iron is used, in this case I used a temperature of 150C for 15 seconds.


Silicone For the manufacture of the Softrobot, the Smooth On ECOFLEX 30 Supersoft Platinum Silicone Kit, 2 pounds of silicone by Smooth On, Inc., was used.

The silicone is prepared according to the supplier's specifications, basically it is 1:1 A, B components


Files Download

Click to download the file:

Conclusion

During the Soft Robotics week, I designed a structure, cut it in vinyl, and assembled it using heat to create my soft robot. The process I used was very simple, but the possibilities for developing much more complex structures are vast, as well as their potential applications.

References & Inspiration