| About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
MS&T23: Materials Science & Technology
|
| Symposium
|
Additive Manufacturing of Polymeric-based Materials: Challenges and Potentials
|
| Presentation Title |
3D Printing of Silicone-Based Flexible Materials with Embedded Sensors for Soft Robotic Actuator Applications |
| Author(s) |
Emrah Demirkal, Konstantinos Sierros, Derrick Banerjee, John Burke, Rowan Barto, Katarzyna Sabolsky, Edward M. Sabolsky |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Emrah Demirkal |
| Abstract Scope |
Technologies in soft robotics are opening the door to robotic abilities that are essential for many tasks (gripping, scooping, locomotion, etc.). Soft robotics use a soft actuator to create a deformable body and an actuation pattern, like locomotion, is a crucial part of soft robots. In this study, we aim to investigate 3D-printing soft robotic actuator materials with embedded sensors via direct ink writing (DIW) using a highly flexible UV-curable silicone-based polymer. The UV-curable silicone was synthesized by compounding MMPS (poly(mercaptopropylmethylsiloxane-co-dimethylsiloxane)) with different molecular-weight VPS (vinyl-terminated polysiloxane) and photoinitiator. Various particulate metals were incorporated into the actuator structure, where different embedded sensor architectures were produced within the actuators by co-printing the metal-filled and pure matrix material. The effect of UV characteristics, metal powder composition, shape, loading level, and thiol-ene ratio were analyzed. Pure and loaded elastomers were characterized via SEM, NMR and tensile test. The MMPS-VPS-25000 composition exhibited ~60% elongation. |