3D printed soft robots that can walk out of the machine

The machine in question is a new 3D printing system, which prints the four-legged devices and could pave the way for the use of intelligent soft robotic systems with no electronic parts.

Soft machines, which are made from compliant materials such as soft plastics, have enormous potential for use in areas such as nuclear decommissioning, the biomedical sector and in space, according to the researchers.

A lack of standardised design and manufacturing processes, expense, and the need for specialist expertise has thus far limited real-world use of these devices.

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh sought to address these challenges by developing a low-cost, desktop 3D printing system for soft robots. The user-friendly setup can be created for less than £400 using off-the-shelf parts.

The capabilities of the new system were demonstrated by creating robots made solely from a soft plastic material and powered by air pressure. Once printed, the palm-sized devices are connected to a compressed air supply before they walk out of the machine from which they were made.

Building and operating the new system, the Flex Printer, requires little prior knowledge, and first-time users can assemble it and begin making robots in a few days - a big boon for an industry which has historically been viewed as complex, with high barriers to entry, particularly with programming robots.

The researchers’ designs have been made publicly available to broaden access to soft robotic technologies and help foster collaboration and improvements.

These findings have been published in the journal Device. The lead engineer on the project was Maks Gepner, with support from Jonah Mack, both PhD students in the Centre for Doctoral Training in Robotics and Autonomous Systems. The lead academic was Professor Adam A. Stokes, Head of the Institute for Bioengineering at The University of Edinburgh.