11. Soft robotics#
This week I worked on the soft robotics inflatable, I tried different tecniques.
vinyl sheets#
In the fab lab we have vinyl sheets which we used to print on using vinyl printer, I don’t now if its the same of Thermoadesive vynil but I want to try it.first I designed the pattern,and use laser cutting to cut the pattern on butter sheet. I put the butter sheet between the vinyl sheet, to make space between and got the shape I want. after I put the sheet and use iron .but it didn’t worked and alot of bubbles come in between the viynl sheet. It was a failed try.
2D drawings#
Laser cutting the butter sheet#
I put the butter sheet between the vinyl sheet, to make space between and make airflow. Next I used iron to adhesive the vynil sheet to gother.#
Then I used syringe for pushing airflow but it didn’t work.#
Her you can download the file and try it
Useful links#
Molding and casting#
Inspiration#
During my research on liquid printed pneumatic, a project for BMW and MIT’s Self-Assembly Lab collaborate to design the first printed inflatable material. the design is for first example of a fully printed inflatable that can be customized to any size or shape. The silicone printed object can change shape depending on the amount of air pressure in the system. The pneumatic controls in the system allow the printed structure to transform into a variety of shapes, functions or stiffness characteristics.
Concept#
The concept is a mold gives me different shape and size The silicone cast object can change shape depending on the amount of air pressure in the system. The structure, designed to transform into a variety of shapes, functions or stiffness characteristics.
I made a test in a small scale and not complicated to make control
- After finish designing the mold I cut it on a laser cut machine using acrylic, 2 thicknesses. For casting I used ‘Dragon skin 10 medium’, Shore Hardness 10.A instead of ‘Ecoflex 00-30’Shore Hardness 00-30. The difference between these two materials is the shore hardness. ( The Shore 00 Hardness Scale measures rubbers and gels that are very soft, like Ecoflex 00-30. The Shore A Hardness Scale measures the hardness of flexible mold rubbers that range in hardness from very soft and flexible, to medium and somewhat flexible, too hard with almost no flexibility at all. Semi-rigid plastics can also be measured at the high end of the Shore A Scale.)
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Material I need and steps:#
- Dragon skin 10 medium
- plastic cups
- wood sticks
- scale
- gloves
- syringe for pushing airflow
Mold preparing#
- designing the mold and cut it on laser cut machine using acrylic material thickness 2 mm.
- bulding mold.
Casting silicon#
- In a clean pot I mixed the same quantity of part A and part B, then mix the liquid with a clean wood stick. I see a lot of bubbles so I used vaccum to have a perfect mold. I pour the liquid in the laser cut mold then vaccum it. When finish vaccuming, I cure the mold for 1 hour, I need it to be stucky a littile bit, then cast an other silicon flat layer for closing the prototype.
- I cast first layer in the mold, then put it in vacuum to take off the bubbles, after I cure it for 30 min.
- Next step, I cast the next layer.
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Problems#
- I face some problems while casting the second layer, the layer thickness is small so the silicon cover and close some of the openings in the first layer and avoid air flow to go in right away.
Video#
From Vimeo#
IMG_3085 from Al-zahra'a alomari on Vimeo.