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8. Soft robotics

Research 𓏲 ๋ ˖

Soft robotics is a field of robotics that focuses on the design and development of robots made primarily from soft flexible and deformable materials rather than rigid components such as metal or hard plastics. This approach is inspired by living organisms like octopuses worms muscles and plants which are able to move adapt and interact with their environment in fluid and organic and softer ways.

Silicone soft robots work by combining flexible materials with pneumatic actuation. The robot is made of soft silicone with internal air chambers. When air is pumped into these chambers, the silicone expands and bends, creating movement. The shape, wall thickness, and internal geometry control how the robot moves. When the air is released, the silicone returns to its original form due to its elasticity.

Image taken from Soft Robot, A review, by Elveflow, n.d.

Unlike traditional robotics soft robotics emphasizes adaptability safety and close interaction with humans. Because these robots are compliant and forgiving they can safely touch the body adjust to different shapes and operate in unpredictable environments.

Design and Fabrication of a Soft Robotic Hand and Arm System by Disney research, 2018

You can see further details of this project here.

✹References & Inspiration ✹

Fabacademy, by Javi Albo, 2018

Further details of these project.

This is a type of soft robot made with vinyl that is quite creative dynamic and accessible to make. I found it to be an interesting technique to recreate.

Liquid Printed Pneumatics, by MIT Self-Assembly Lab, n. d.

Further details here.

Liquid Printed Pneumatics is a research project by MIT’s Self-Assembly Lab in collaboration with BMW Design that explores a new way of making inflatable structures using advanced printing techniques. Liquid Printed Pneumatics is a printed inflatable material made from a silicone-based structure that can change shape depending on the air pressure inside it. The object contains internal chambers that allow it to inflate, deflate and transform its form, stiffness or function based on pneumatic control.

°✭ Star fish soft robot°✭

Tools & softwares

Process and workflow

I was strongly inspired by the shape of the Liquid Printed Pneumatics project because it reminded me of the form of an ear cuff, which is a type of earring. This became my starting point to create my soft robot: an ear cuff designed to wrap around the ear like a small starfish.

Fabricademy by Samantha Sánchez, 2026

I used my ear as the base reference for the measurements. I wanted the vertical suction cup to remain static and simply rest on the side of the ear, while the four other legs forming an X shape would act as grippers, holding the ear from the front and the back.

I modeled my silicone mold in Onshape, since it is a program that helps me design very easily using precise measurements.

After that, I prepared my file for 3D printing in Ultimaker. You can check my Week 06 page to see in more detail how to parametrize the file in this program.

After printing my piece, I prepared the silicone mixture, which consists of 50 percent solution A and 50 percent solution B.

poured the silicone into the mold and let it cure overnight.

I removed it very carefully and this was the result. The only thing left was to create another layer over the surface, since it was still exposed. If this step is not done, the air will obviously escape.

I created another silicone layer by applying a layer of the mixture to the bottom part of the mold, and then placing the previously cured piece on top, this is for sealing the soft robot.

Image taken from Soft Robot, A review, by Elveflow, n.d.

Fabricademy by Samantha Sánchez, 2026

Time to test it!

First, I pierced exactly in the middle of the piece with the tip of the air valve into the center of the piece, as shown in the following image:

Air-Powered Soft Robotic Gripper, by Ben Finio, 2014

Further details of his project here.

Test recopilation:

As you can observe, the air did not distribute properly, the desired grip was not achieved, and the piece burst. There are several things that could be changed for future iterations: adding an extra layer of silicone to reinforce the structure, increasing the number of walls to create more air chambers so the gripper becomes more articulated, and modifying the overall shape or angles to improve air distribution.

Adhesive vinyl ˖᯽ ݁˖

Tools

Process and workflow

My inspiration por this fisrt soft robbot was the shape of an orchid.

Then i traced it on inkscape and parametrized the plotter to cut the figure, go to my BioChromes to see how i did that.

I cut two equal pieces, along with a slightly smaller piece of parchment paper to prevent the area where it was placed from sealing. So the layers go like this: vinyl > parchment paper > vinyl.

I placed kraft paper on the top and bottom the soft robot layers to prevent it from sticking to the heat press. I then placed it inside the heat press and left it there for 15 seconds at 150 degrees Celsius.

For the other two pieces I made, the process was reversed. First, I drew and hand cut the design of my soft robot on parchment paper. Then I placed two squares of vinyl on the top and bottom, put the stack in the heat press, and cut the silhouette by hand, using backlighting to guide myself accurately.

This is how my cuts with parchment paper looked:

This after pressing it:

results:

Conclussions

This project allowed me to explore soft robotics from a material driven and experimental perspective, combining digital fabrication with manual processes. The first silicone prototype revealed the importance of air distribution and structural reinforcement, as the lack of proper air chambers and wall thickness resulted in failure instead of the desired gripping action. The second approach, using vinyl and heat pressing, offered a more accessible and faster fabrication method. Working with parchment paper as a spacer proved to be an effective way to create inflatable chambers. Overall, this week reinforced the value of iteration and testing in soft robotics. Each prototype functioned as a learning tool, revealing limitations and opportunities for improvement.

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Fabrication files

  1. File : starfish SR ↩

  2. File : orchid vector ↩