Researchers at the University of Edinburgh have succeeded in developing so-called soft robots that, after being printed, walk independently out of the 3D printer. The robots are powered by compressed air, and contain no electronic components.
Soft robots are robots made of flexible and soft materials. This is in contrast to traditional hard materials such as metal or plastic. Their flexibility allows them to bend, stretch and deform, enabling them to navigate through tight spaces and adapt to different environments. These properties, among others, make them safe for interaction with people, making them particularly suitable for applications in healthcare and rehabilitation.
Soft robots are often inspired by biological organisms, such as octopuses and worms, allowing them to perform complex movements. Potential applications are diverse and range from medical assistance and search and rescue operations to the entertainment industry.
No standardised production process
However, a standardised production process for soft robots is lacking. In addition, because production so far required specialist knowledge, the process was expensive. These obstacles stood in the way of wide implementation of soft robots in practice.
To overcome these challenges, University of Edinburgh researchers developed a low-cost desktop 3D printer specifically for producing soft robots. The printer is made from standard and widely available components, available for less than £400 (about €475 converted). The researchers call the printer the 'Flex Printer'.
Soft robot without electronic components
The team demonstrates the capabilities of the 3D printer by printing a soft robot that can walk independently out of the 3D printer. In practice, many soft robots contain electronic components. Because these components cannot be produced with a 3D printer, in most cases it is necessary to add components to a soft robot after the printing process before it can move.
This is not the case with the soft robots developed by the University of Edinburgh researchers; the robots only need to be connected to compressed air in order to start moving. This enables the robots to independently walk out of the printer without post-processing after the printing process. The soft robot developed by the researchers is about the size of the palm of a hand.
Design freely available
The university reports that no specialist knowledge is needed to manufacture the printer and users with no previous experience can also get started with it. The construction and commissioning of the printer reportedly takes only a few days.
The design of the Flex Printer has been made freely available on the internet by the researchers. The researchers thus want to widen access to soft robots and hope that third parties will want to contribute to the further development of the printer.
'Game-changer'
"It used to take years to figure out how to print with these materials. With our new platform, anyone can now easily print things that were previously thought impossible. This is a game-changer for engineers and artists alike. We hope this technology will drive the next wave of research breakthroughs. Without the long-standing production and design bottlenecks holding it back, we believe soft robotics is poised to make a big impact on the real world," says Maks Gepner, chief engineer of the project.
Gepner was supported by Jonah Mack. Both are PhD students at the Centre for Doctoral Training in Robotics and Autonomous Systems. The lead academic is Professor Adam A. Stokes, head of the Institute for Bioengineering at the University of Edinburgh. More information about the project can be found here.
