| Abstract Scope |
Over the past decade, the field of “soft robotics” has established itself as uniquely suited for applications that would be difficult or impossible to realize using traditional, rigid-bodied robots. The reliance on compliant materials that are often actuated by fluidic (e.g., hydraulic or pneumatic) means presents a number of inherent benefits for soft robots, particularly in terms of safety for human-robot interactions and adaptability for manipulating complex and/or delicate objects—characteristics that are advantageous for biomedical applications. Despite this potential, progress has been impeded by broad challenges associated with manufacturing such systems at smaller length scales. In this lecture, Prof. Ryan D. Sochol will discuss how his Bioinspired Advanced Manufacturing (BAM) Laboratory is leveraging the capabilities of two alternative types of additive manufacturing (or “three-dimensional (3D) printing”) technologies to address these barriers. Specifically, Prof. Sochol will describe his lab’s recent strategies for using the inkjet (material jetting) 3D microprinting technique, “PolyJet 3D Printing”, to engineer soft robotic systems that comprise integrated fluidic circuitry—including a soft robotic “hand” that plays Nintendo—and the 3D nanoprinting approach, “Two-Photon Direct Laser Writing”, to enable new classes of soft robotic surgical tools. |