8. Soft robotics

This week's lecture was on soft robotics and my thoughts went straight to as something soft and delicate. I guess I wasn't wrong. obots come in different shapes, sizes and use different materials. Soft robotics utilizes flexible and deformable materials like silicone runner, gels and squishy materials instead of hard and metal materials.

Because they’re soft and bendy, these robots:

• Can stretch, twist, and squish rather than just rotate at joints

• Are often safer around humans or fragile objects

• Can conform to shapes like wrapping around.

Nature inspires soft robotics in the sense that most of designs created are of animals like octopuses, crab that are composed of soft components and they they utilize their softness for efficient movement.

Soft robotics is also inspired through biomimicry especially in plants we find the balance of external and internal surroundings through fluid frow across the cell membrane.

Through the E-textile unit, I learned different sensors and some go handy with soft robotics. Soft sensors such as strech sensors, bending sensors, pressure sensors and force sensors can sense robot's position and stiffness.

Difference between soft robots and "normal" robots

Comparison	Soft robot	Normal robot
Material	silicone, rubber, gel	Metal, hard plastic, carbon fibre
Actuation	Air pressure, fluids, stretchy electrodes	Electric motors, gears, and rigid joints
Strength and safety	gentle and safer	Very strong and fast
Usage	Medical devices, wearables, Food industry, underwater and exploration	Car manufacturing, electronic assembly, welding

Inspiration

Soft robotic grippers

Soft robotic tentacles

Soft robotic gloves & exosuits

Octobot

Soft Robotic Inflatables

Example 1

Using Heat transfer Vinyl and heat press, I made a star pattern on my baking paper. This was the process.

1. Fold the baking paper into half and draw the star shape

2. Cut the star shape using razor blade

3. Cut two HTV

4. Sandwitch the two star shape with the two HTV

5. Use heat press to fully make the papers intact

6. I used straw as an air pressure.

## Results

I tried with spiral shape

Biosilicone making

After visiting supermarkets and other shops to purchase gelatin and in all the shops I visited lacked gelatin. I resorted to inquire with lab equipment suppliers if there's a possibility of them havin one and i was available. However, they packed for bacteriology. I asked ChatGPT if it can be used to make silicone and it suggested yes. So I made a try with it.

I used Gelatin, glycerine as a plasticizer and water as solvent to make biosilicone.

Protocol

1. Dissolve 10g of gelatin in 40ml warm water

2. Add 4g glycerine

3. Stir, heat gently until homogenous for 3 minutes

4. Pour into the mold and let it cool to room temperature.

After approximately 3 hrs of my silicone resting in the mould, I tried to remove from the mold but it was so sticky and brittle it ended up breaking.

I redid the mold and now waited for 12hrs because I was heading home so I left the mold overnight.

This was the result with the 3-D printed hand I made... It came out nicely except at the fingers. This maybe due to how I made my mould smaller hence harder to remove the silicone.

I was advised by Anastacia to let my silicone mixture cook well before putting in a mold for better result. I will try that and update it here later.

References & Inspiration

Grecia Bello

Tools and materials

- Heat press
- Heat transfer Vinyl
- Silicone