SOFT ROBOTICS. A 3D-printed, functionally graded soft robot powered by combustion.

Journal: Science (New York, N.Y.)
Published Date: Jul 10, 2015

Abstract

Roboticists have begun to design biologically inspired robots with soft or partially soft bodies, which have the potential to be more robust and adaptable, and safer for human interaction, than traditional rigid robots. However, key challenges in the design and manufacture of soft robots include the complex fabrication processes and the interfacing of soft and rigid components. We used multimaterial three-dimensional (3D) printing to manufacture a combustion-powered robot whose body transitions from a rigid core to a soft exterior. This stiffness gradient, spanning three orders of magnitude in modulus, enables reliable interfacing between rigid driving components (controller, battery, etc.) and the primarily soft body, and also enhances performance. Powered by the combustion of butane and oxygen, this robot is able to perform untethered jumping.

Authors

  • Nicholas W Bartlett
    School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
  • Michael T Tolley
    Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093-0403.
  • Johannes T B Overvelde
    School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
  • James C Weaver
    Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
  • Bobak Mosadegh
    Dalio Institute of Cardiovascular Imaging, Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA.
  • Katia Bertoldi
    School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
  • George M Whitesides
    Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
  • Robert J Wood
    Microrobotics Lab, Harvard University, 149 Maxwell Dworkin Building, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA.

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