Actua

A soft robotic grabber that can reshape and adapt.

Comment 2

Inspiration

Inspired by the movement of my origami cranes, I found the emerging field of soft robotics. Soft robots are capable of executing a variety of functions in low-cost, lightweight, and mechanically-compliant packages. As such, they could be capable of functioning in challenging environments involving uneven terrain, obstacles, and fitting within small spaces.

What it does

Actua is a soft robotic gripper that can reshape to pick up different objects given its flexible deformability, unlike rigid robots. Actua’s inner pieces are engineered to move in a certain way through air compression. The movement of Actua, and soft robotics at large, is inspired by biological systems and the ways in which organisms move and adapt in nature.

How I built it

  1. Did some research, looking through the sites of soft robotics labs and youtube videos!
  2. Engineered the mold using a CAD (computer-aided design) software called Tinkercad
  3. 3D printed the mold using a Makerbot Sketch
  4. Casted the necessary parts using Ecoflex 00-30
  5. Assembled the soft robot to its air source, which was a large syringe

Challenges I ran into

When I first casted the bottom piece of the robot, some places the exoflex was too shallow. So, I had to estimate the places where more ecoflex was needed and add additional layers. Additionally, the use of a syringe for an air source is not strong enough, so I plan to use an air pump to actuate my soft robots in the future instead.

Accomplishments that I'm proud of

I’m proud of following my curiosity and going for a more niche field and doing a decent job with creating a soft robot within the confines of my own room.

What I learned

Soft robots take lots of thought and are difficult to make, especially without real research lab equipment, but it’s fascinating nonetheless.

What's next for Actua

In the near future, I hope to use the skills gained from this project to integrate rigid and electronic components into my soft robots.

In the far future, I see how if soft robots are equipped with sensors, they may be able to assist in search-and-rescue operations in a disaster area, or retrieval of objects in spaces that are too confined or hazardous for humans or large robots to negotiate. In more advanced and final stages of development, soft robots can save human lives. I hope to bring this vision to life in my future through research.

Share this project:

Updates