3D printing of robotic soft actuators with programmable bioinspired architectures

Nature Communications
Manuel SchaffnerAndré R Studart

Abstract

Soft actuation allows robots to interact safely with humans, other machines, and their surroundings. Full exploitation of the potential of soft actuators has, however, been hindered by the lack of simple manufacturing routes to generate multimaterial parts with intricate shapes and architectures. Here, we report a 3D printing platform for the seamless digital fabrication of pneumatic silicone actuators exhibiting programmable bioinspired architectures and motions. The actuators comprise an elastomeric body whose surface is decorated with reinforcing stripes at a well-defined lead angle. Similar to the fibrous architectures found in muscular hydrostats, the lead angle can be altered to achieve elongation, contraction, or twisting motions. Using a quantitative model based on lamination theory, we establish design principles for the digital fabrication of silicone-based soft actuators whose functional response is programmed within the material's properties and architecture. Exploring such programmability enables 3D printing of a broad range of soft morphing structures.

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Citations

Feb 20, 2019·Macromolecular Rapid Communications·Zhongying JiFeng Zhou
Dec 4, 2019·Advanced Materials·Kony Chatterjee, Tushar K Ghosh
Jan 30, 2020·Nanoscale·Changyou YanXiaolong Wang
Feb 28, 2020·Soft Robotics·Hee Doo Yang, Alan T Asbeck
Dec 6, 2018·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Yuxing YaoJoanna Aizenberg
Apr 8, 2020·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Ze ZhaoNam-Joon Cho
Feb 6, 2020·Science Advances·T-Y HuangH L Duan
Oct 2, 2020·Advanced Science·Zhen JiangLuke A Connal
Jan 25, 2019·Scientific Reports·Lauriane AlisonAndré R Studart
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Jun 20, 2020·Soft Robotics·Richard Suphapol DiteesawatJonathan Rossiter
Jun 9, 2020·Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology·Mohammad FatahillahHugo Rodrigue
Mar 7, 2020·Advanced Materials·Joselle M McCrackenTimothy J White
Jul 7, 2020·Journal of Materials Chemistry. B, Materials for Biology and Medicine·Suitu WangTaylor H Ware
Apr 25, 2020·Soft Robotics·Manav TyagiEdwin W H Jager
Oct 8, 2020·Advanced Materials·Jiaqing XiongPooi See Lee
Oct 27, 2020·Advanced Materials·Viviane Lutz-BuenoRaffaele Mezzenga
Nov 3, 2020·Advanced Materials·Yichen ZhaiTse Nga Ng
Nov 10, 2020·Advanced Materials·Ela Sachyani KenethShlomo Magdassi
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Jan 31, 2021·Nanoscale·Mingzhe NieXuemin Du
Apr 10, 2019·Science Robotics·Ahmad RafsanjaniAndré R Studart
Jan 28, 2021·Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids·Jianming YangAi Du
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Apr 17, 2021·Advanced Materials·Pingan ZhuLiqiu Wang
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Aug 18, 2021·Advanced Science·Aref GhorbaniMehdi Habibi
Jun 12, 2019·ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces·Lu-Yu ZhouYong He

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Methods Mentioned

BETA
delamination
rheology

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