Desktop fabrication of monolithic soft robotic devices with embedded fluidic control circuits

Area of Science:

• Robotics
• Materials Science
• Additive Manufacturing

Background:

• Traditional soft robots rely on manual assembly and external components, limiting complexity and increasing fabrication effort.
• Fused filament fabrication (FFF) offers a more accessible method for creating complex structures but faces challenges with material stiffness and airtightness.
• Existing FFF techniques for soft robotics result in stiff, leaky actuators, restricting their practical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel fused filament fabrication (FFF) approach for creating soft, airtight pneumatic robotic devices.
• To integrate fluidic control components directly within FFF-printed actuators.
• To demonstrate the fabrication of complex, autonomous soft robotic systems with minimal post-processing.

Main Methods:

• Utilized desktop fused filament fabrication (FFF) to simultaneously print soft actuators and embedded fluidic control components.
• Developed novel materials and printing strategies to achieve significantly lower effective stiffness in FFF-printed actuators.
• Designed and printed integrated pneumatic valves capable of precise airflow control.

Main Results:

• Fabricated soft actuators exhibiting an order of magnitude lower stiffness than previous FFF methods, capable of bending into a full circle.
• Successfully printed functional pneumatic valves that regulate high-pressure airflow with low control pressure.
• Demonstrated a monolithically printed, electronics-free autonomous gripper that can detect, grip, and release objects based on applied forces.

Conclusions:

• The proposed FFF approach enables the creation of soft, airtight pneumatic robotic devices with embedded controls, overcoming previous material and process limitations.
• This method significantly enhances the accessibility and repeatability of soft robot fabrication, requiring no post-treatment, assembly, or defect repair.
• The technology paves the way for distributed manufacturing of complex, customized soft robotic systems and components.