Researchers develop zero waste soft robotics gripper using additive manufacturing

Soft Robotics is an trending field of study, in a recent study published in the journal Science Robotics, researchers developed soft robotics gripper using 3D printing. The developed gripper was sensor based and manufactured using zero waste, which improved sustainability. 

Abstract

Nature serves as a rich source of inspiration for soft robotics, presenting intrinsic mechanisms of safe interaction between robotic equipment and live species. In contrast, the materials used are frequently nonbiodegradable or derived from nonrenewable resources, resulting in an ever-increasing environmental imprint. Furthermore, traditional manufacturing technologies, such as mold casting, are insufficient for recreating or copying the intricacy of nature’s creations.

As a result, sustainability considerations must be included into the development of new manufacturing techniques. We provide a customized 3D-printing approach based on fused deposition modeling for printing dimensionally stable, complicated structures using a totally biodegradable gelatin-based hydrogel (biogel) ink. This method allows for the rapid and low-cost development of durable, soft robotic applications using gels that can stretch to six times their original length, as well as an easy recycling approach with no waste. We demonstrate printable pneumatic actuators with integrated 3D-printed stretchable waveguides capable of combining proprio- and exteroception, capable of omnidirectional movement at short reaction times (less than a second). These soft devices have dynamic real-time control and are capable of performing automatic search-and-wipe processes to identify and eliminate obstructions. They can be replicated several times or disposed of safely at the end of their useful life, perhaps paving the way for a more sustainable future for soft robotics.

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