Vacuum-Laser Fabrication of Programmable Soft Actuators

Soft robotic actuators enable lightweight and compliant motion, but their fabrication typically relies on silicone molding, 3D printing, or textile lamination-processes that require expensive materials, long production times, or complex fabrication protocols. We introduce a rapid manufacturing strategy using low-cost thermoplastic pouches that combines vacuum processing and laser cutting. By removing air gaps between layers, this method enables precise sealing and cutting, allowing complex inflatable geometries to be fabricated in under 10 min at a material cost below $0.10 per actuator. Compared to silicone elastomers, the reduced compliance of thermoplastics minimizes deformation losses and channels more energy into effective stiffening. The reliability of the method is verified through material testing and repeatable pressurization experiments, including response times of approximately 0.4s at operating pressure of 50-70kPa. We further use finite element modeling to predict bending behavior, derive geometric rules for programmable deformation, and construct a surrogate model for inverse design of homogeneous and heterogeneous bending actuators. Using this framework, target shapes such as alphabetic letters and spirals are achieved, and functional soft robotic prototypes, including crawlers, swimmers, and soft grippers, are demonstrated. These results position vacuum-laser processing as an accessible and scalable platform for rapid fabrication of adaptive soft robotic systems.