An integrated design and fabrication strategy for entirely soft, autonomous robots

An integrated design and fabrication strategy for entirely soft, autonomous robots

2016-08-01 | Wehner, Michael; Truby, Ryan L; Fitzgerald, Daniel J; Mosadegh, Bobak; Whitesides, George M; Lewis, Jennifer A; Wood, Robert J
An integrated design and fabrication strategy for entirely soft, autonomous robots. Soft robots, made of flexible materials, offer advantages over traditional rigid robots, such as better interaction with humans and adaptability to natural environments. However, they often require external power and control systems. This study presents a fully soft, autonomous robot, the 'octobot,' which operates without external connections. The robot is controlled by microfluidic logic that autonomously regulates fluid flow, enabling the decomposition of an onboard monopropellant fuel. Gas generated from this decomposition inflates fluidic networks, causing actuation. The robot's body and microfluidic logic are fabricated using molding and soft lithography, while the pneumatic actuator networks, fuel reservoirs, and catalytic reaction chambers are patterned using a multi-material, embedded 3D printing technique. This approach allows for the programmable assembly of multiple materials within the robot's architecture, enabling fully soft, autonomous operation. The octobot is a minimal system that demonstrates this integrated design and fabrication strategy, potentially serving as a foundation for future fully soft, autonomous robots. The robot is powered by 50 wt% aqueous hydrogen peroxide, which decomposes in the presence of a platinum catalyst to produce gas, driving the actuation. The microfluidic controller regulates the flow of fuel and gas, enabling the robot to alternate between red and blue actuation states. The robot operates autonomously, cycling between actuation states for several minutes. This work highlights the potential of soft robotics for applications requiring safe, adaptive, and untethered operation.An integrated design and fabrication strategy for entirely soft, autonomous robots. Soft robots, made of flexible materials, offer advantages over traditional rigid robots, such as better interaction with humans and adaptability to natural environments. However, they often require external power and control systems. This study presents a fully soft, autonomous robot, the 'octobot,' which operates without external connections. The robot is controlled by microfluidic logic that autonomously regulates fluid flow, enabling the decomposition of an onboard monopropellant fuel. Gas generated from this decomposition inflates fluidic networks, causing actuation. The robot's body and microfluidic logic are fabricated using molding and soft lithography, while the pneumatic actuator networks, fuel reservoirs, and catalytic reaction chambers are patterned using a multi-material, embedded 3D printing technique. This approach allows for the programmable assembly of multiple materials within the robot's architecture, enabling fully soft, autonomous operation. The octobot is a minimal system that demonstrates this integrated design and fabrication strategy, potentially serving as a foundation for future fully soft, autonomous robots. The robot is powered by 50 wt% aqueous hydrogen peroxide, which decomposes in the presence of a platinum catalyst to produce gas, driving the actuation. The microfluidic controller regulates the flow of fuel and gas, enabling the robot to alternate between red and blue actuation states. The robot operates autonomously, cycling between actuation states for several minutes. This work highlights the potential of soft robotics for applications requiring safe, adaptive, and untethered operation.
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