8. Soft robotics¶
Research and Inspiration¶
 |
 |
 |
DIY Soft Robot Gripper. I like how simple this robot is, a great starter project that is not intimidating. If it really works that will be exciting! My colleague Kevin Galloway is mentioned in the creditors as the inventor of a variation of an actuator.
Definition for an actuator (Google): 1) Inflatable materials or silicone components, to create movement and change the garment's form 2) a machine that moves or controls components in a system by converting energy into physical motion. This energy can come from electricity, water pressure, or air pressure. Depending on its design and the desired motion, an actuator can produce linear or rotary movement."
The video and all supplies and instructions can be found here
I plan to look into what is offered in this toolkit: Soft Robotics Toolkit from Harvard:
Included with information on the toolkit is this video:
Article from Harvard on soft robtic acctuators that gives information on how they work and a useful case study can be linked here.
The case study can be found here.
Exciting and inspiring! Air Giants.
Process and workflow¶
Pneumatic Wrist Brace Project¶
I like the idea of starting with this very basic project to learn some of the issues with pneumatics. My wonderful lab assistant Jojo Ying and I learned quite a bit and had fun with this first project. We both feel it this easy educational and confidence-building project is is a great starter project for people of all ages including kids! We both felt that the functionality of this brace was quite magical. We learned many fundamentals about working with the materials and ideas of pneumatics.
Fabric: Seattle Fabrics: Heat Sealable Coated Nylon Taffeta (https://www.seattlefabrics.com/search.asp)
 |
Steps: 1. Download image 2. Cut front and back from Heat Sealable Coated Nylon Taffeta 3. Cut out thumb piece 4. Cut smaller piece, as indictaed on the pattern, from musilin to sit between the layers when melting them together 5. Used the heat vinyl heat press to melt the front and back together 6. Punched five holes in each side 7. Added lacing 8. Blew it up and tried it on 9. It fits and it works!
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Making An Expandable Linear Piece that Curls, or Soft Robotic Actuator¶
The idea with this project is that the channels will fill with air and force the band into a curled position. I am curious as to whether my fabric is flexible enough to allow for the proper expansion to make this prototype work.
Tools Used¶
1) Heat sealer 2) Heat Sealable Coated Nylon Taffeta, in white
Steps: 1) Cut a strip of the Heat Sealable Coated Nylon Taffeta measuring 5" x 36" 2) Place a 1/2" wide piece of painters tape 3/4" from one long edge of the fabric 3) Fold the fabric, plastic sides together, and mark every 2" 4) Heat seal: the long end; one short end; and every two inches. The painter's tape will leave a channel open for the air to flow through. 5) Sew a strip from two pieces of black grosgrain ribbon to hold the channel together at intervals. I choose both 2" and 3" intervals to see which one worked best. I started by cutting and prepping a waistband from a discarded pair of jeans by backing it with a 3" wide strip of grosgrain ribbon, but felt tat might be a bit too thick and heavy and lacking in ease of movement. 5) Insert hard plastic pieces into the strip, each one 2-3 " long, so that when the heat-sealed strip fills with air, it will expand and cause the strip to curl-up.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
I re-made this project to try to get it to successfully curl in. I am very excited with the result, it works! Steps: 1) Cut a strip of the Heat Sealable Coated Nylon Taffeta measuring 7" x 60" 2) Place a 5/8" wide piece of painters tape over a 1/2" strip of muslin, 3/4" from one long edge of the fabric 3) Fold the fabric, plastic sides together, and mark every 3" 4) Heat seal: the long end; one short end; and every three inches. The painter's tape leaves a channel open for the air to flow through, and the muslin helps the tape not stick too much so the air can get through easily. 5) Sew two pieces of black grosgrain ribbon on both ends to hold the channel together at 2" intervals. 5) I inserted a soft pliabe plastic strip into 2" long "pockets" I made in the grosgrain, so that when the heat-sealed strip fills with air, it will expand and cause the strip to curl-up. I calculated how long the intervals on the grosgrain should be on based on the triangle the height of inflated fabric pockets.
 |
 |
 |
 |
Here is a video of this piece working. I am very excited about this project as it seems like it has interesting future applications.
Making an Actuator with a laster cut mold and silicone¶
Tools Used: 1) Laser cutting 2) MDF to make the mold and wood glue 3) Silicone, Dragon Skin 10
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Results of Laser Cut Actuator¶
I am really not sure how to insert a tube into this prototype and it does not seem that pliable to me. I don't think that this result worked, so I am going back to the original video I included at the start of this assignment documentation to try that pattern and approach to a soft robotic gripper.
Link to Soft Robotic Gripper.
1) Cut 14 rectangles out of cardboard.
6 - 2.5" x 0.5"; 6 - 3.5" x 0.75"; 2 - 9" x 9"
I am hoping this version of a grabber might work. The first backing piece I made was too thin and it ripped when I tried to pull it out of the cardboard mold. I have made a few attempts to repour/remold these two actuator grippers, but I ahven't gotten them to work yet.
I plan to try making one using biosilicone.