scholarly journals Soft Robots: Fast‐Response, Stiffness‐Tunable Soft Actuator by Hybrid Multimaterial 3D Printing (Adv. Funct. Mater. 15/2019)

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (15) ◽  
pp. 1970098 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuan‐Fang Zhang ◽  
Ningbin Zhang ◽  
Hardik Hingorani ◽  
Ningyuan Ding ◽  
Dong Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
3D Printing ◽  
Fast Response ◽  
Soft Robots ◽  
Soft Actuator

Fast‐Response, Stiffness‐Tunable Soft Actuator by Hybrid Multimaterial 3D Printing

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (15) ◽  
pp. 1806698 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuan‐Fang Zhang ◽  
Ningbin Zhang ◽  
Hardik Hingorani ◽  
Ningyuan Ding ◽  
Dong Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
3D Printing ◽  
Fast Response ◽  
Soft Actuator

Simulated filament shapes in embedded 3D printing

Soft Matter ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leanne Friedrich ◽  
Jonathan Seppala
Keyword(s):  
3D Printing ◽  
Soft Robots

Embedded 3D printing, wherein fluid inks are extruded into support baths, has enabled the manufacture of complex, custom structures ranging from cell-laden tissue analogues to soft robots. This method encompasses...

(Invited) Skin-Mimic Hydrogel Materials with Water-Perspiration Control for Soft Robots Developed by 3D Printing

2020 ◽  
Vol MA2020-02 (69) ◽  
pp. 3695-3695
Author(s):  
Shuma Kanai ◽  
Yosuke Watanabe ◽  
MD Nahin Islam Shiblee ◽  
Ajit Khosla ◽  
Jun Ogawa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
3D Printing ◽  
Soft Robots

scholarly journals Control-Oriented Modelling of a 3D-Printed Soft Actuator

Materials ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Zolfagharian ◽  
Akif Kaynak ◽  
Sui Yang Khoo ◽  
Jun Zhang ◽  
Saeid Nahavandi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
3D Printing ◽  
Dynamic Models ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Input Voltage ◽  
Soft Actuator ◽  
Voltage Variation ◽  
Sophisticated Model ◽  
3D Printed ◽  
Rc Circuit ◽  
Soft Actuators

A new type of soft actuator was developed by using hydrogel materials and three-dimensional (3D) printing technology, attracting the attention of researchers in the soft robotics field. Due to parametric uncertainties of such actuators, which originate in both a custom design nature of 3D printing as well as time and voltage variant characteristics of polyelectrolyte actuators, a sophisticated model to estimate their behaviour is required. This paper presents a practical modeling approach for the deflection of a 3D printed soft actuator. The suggested model is composed of electrical and mechanical dynamic models while the earlier version describes the actuator as a resistive-capacitive (RC) circuit. The latter model relates the ionic charges to the bending of an actuator. The experimental results were acquired to estimate the transfer function parameters of the developed model incorporating Takagi-Sugeno (T-S) fuzzy sets. The proposed model was successful in estimating the end-point trajectory of the actuator, especially in response to a broad range of input voltage variation. With some modifications in the electromechanical aspects of the model, the proposed modelling method can be used with other 3D printed soft actuators.

scholarly journals A review of 3D printing processes and materials for soft robotics

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (8) ◽  
pp. 1345-1361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yee Ling Yap ◽  
Swee Leong Sing ◽  
Wai Yee Yeong
Keyword(s):  
3D Printing ◽  
Soft Robotics ◽  
Soft Robots ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
The Future ◽  
3D Printed ◽  
Multiple Materials ◽  
Printing Processes ◽  
Printing Techniques

Purpose Soft robotics is currently a rapidly growing new field of robotics whereby the robots are fundamentally soft and elastically deformable. Fabrication of soft robots is currently challenging and highly time- and labor-intensive. Recent advancements in three-dimensional (3D) printing of soft materials and multi-materials have become the key to enable direct manufacturing of soft robots with sophisticated designs and functions. Hence, this paper aims to review the current 3D printing processes and materials for soft robotics applications, as well as the potentials of 3D printing technologies on 3D printed soft robotics. Design/methodology/approach The paper reviews the polymer 3D printing techniques and materials that have been used for the development of soft robotics. Current challenges to adopting 3D printing for soft robotics are also discussed. Next, the potentials of 3D printing technologies and the future outlooks of 3D printed soft robotics are presented. Findings This paper reviews five different 3D printing techniques and commonly used materials. The advantages and disadvantages of each technique for the soft robotic application are evaluated. The typical designs and geometries used by each technique are also summarized. There is an increasing trend of printing shape memory polymers, as well as multiple materials simultaneously using direct ink writing and material jetting techniques to produce robotics with varying stiffness values that range from intrinsically soft and highly compliant to rigid polymers. Although the recent work is done is still limited to experimentation and prototyping of 3D printed soft robotics, additive manufacturing could ultimately be used for the end-use and production of soft robotics. Originality/value The paper provides the current trend of how 3D printing techniques and materials are used particularly in the soft robotics application. The potentials of 3D printing technology on the soft robotic applications and the future outlooks of 3D printed soft robotics are also presented.

scholarly journals Soft Robotics: Miniature Pneumatic Actuators for Soft Robots by High‐Resolution Multimaterial 3D Printing (Adv. Mater. Technol. 10/2019)

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (10) ◽  
pp. 1970054
Author(s):  
Yuan‐Fang Zhang ◽  
Colin Ju‐Xiang Ng ◽  
Zhe Chen ◽  
Wang Zhang ◽  
Sahil Panjwani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
3D Printing ◽  
Soft Robotics ◽  
Soft Robots ◽  
Pneumatic Actuators

(Invited) Skin-Mimic Hydrogel Materials with Water-Perspiration Control for Soft Robots Developed by 3D Printing

2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (13) ◽  
pp. 23-27
Author(s):  
Shuma Kanai ◽  
Yosuke Watanabe ◽  
MD Nahin Islam Shiblee ◽  
Ajit Khosla ◽  
Jun Ogawa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
3D Printing ◽  
Soft Robots

3D Printing of a Photo-thermal Self-folding Actuator

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Zolfagharian ◽  
Abbas Z. Kouzani ◽  
Bijan Nasri-Nasrabadi ◽  
Scott Adams ◽  
Sui Yang Khoo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
3D Printing ◽  
Shape Memory Polymer ◽  
Video Camera ◽  
Polymer Materials ◽  
Micro Electro Mechanical Systems ◽  
Soft Actuator ◽  
Thermographic Camera ◽  
Manufacturing Techniques ◽  
Ir Light ◽  
Bending Angles

The demand for rapid and accurate fabrication of light-weight, biocompatible, and soft actuators in soft robotics has perused researchers to design and fabricate such products by rapid manufacturing techniques. The self-folding origami structure is a type of soft actuator that has applications in micro electro mechanical systems, soft electronics, and biomedical devices. 3-dimentional (3D) printing is a current manufacturing process that can be used for fabrication of involute soft self-folding products by means of shape memory polymer materials. This paper presents, for the first time, a method for developing a photo thermal self-folding soft actuator using a 3D bioplotter. Easily accessible and inexpensive pre-strained polystyrene is opted for the backbone of actuator. The polystyrene film (PS) is then structured in a hand shape gripper. Chitosan hydrogel and carbon black ink were combined for printing active hinges on the hand gripper. Various active hinges with different widths and thicknesses were printed on the hand gripper using the 3D bioplotter. An infra-red (IR) heating lamp was placed at a reasonable distance to emit IR light uniformly on the hand gripper. The temperature distribution on the hand gripper was observed using a thermographic camera and the bending angles of the samples were recorded by a video camera. It was observed that the bending angles of the hand fingers depend on factors such as the intensity of the heat flux generated by the IR light intensity, distance, onset temperature, geometry of the fingers such as width and thickness, and area of the hinges.

scholarly journals Smart Devices Based on the Soft Actuator with Nafion-Polypropylene-PDMS/Graphite Multilayer Structure

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 1829
Author(s):  
Yao Wei ◽  
Shihao Li ◽  
Xiaofan Zhang ◽  
Yanjun Fu ◽  
Kejian Chen
Keyword(s):  
Fast Response ◽  
Smart Devices ◽  
Asymmetric Structure ◽  
Soft Sensors ◽  
Bending Angle ◽  
Soft Actuator ◽  
Stimulus Responsive ◽  
Potential Applications ◽  
Control Circuits ◽  
Soft Actuators

The demand for multi-functional soft actuators with simple fabrication and fast response to multiple stimuli is increasing in the field of smart devices. However, for existing actuators that respond to a single stimulus, it is difficult to meet the requirements of application diversity. Herein, a type of multi-stimulus responsive soft actuator based on the Nafion-Polypropylene-polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)/Graphite multilayer membranes is proposed. Such actuators have an excellent reversible response to optical/thermal and humidity stimulation, which can reach a 224.56° bending angle in a relative humidity of 95% within 5 s and a maximum bending angle of 324.65° in 31 s when the platform temperature is 80 °C, and has a faster response (<0.5 s) to optical stimuli, as an asymmetric structure allows it to bend in both directions. Based on such an actuator, some applications like flexible grippers and switches to carry items or control circuits, bionic flytraps to capture and release “prey”, have also been developed and studied. These provide potential applications in the fields of soft sensors, artificial skin and flexible robots.

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