3D printed soft robots can fold like origami

Soft robotics is one of the subfields of robotics dealing with constructing robots from highly compliant materials, similar to those found in living organisms. This field looks at the way in which living organisms move and adapt to their surroundings in order for robots to do the same. The majority of soft robots today rely on external power and control which limits their applications. Researchers from Harvard University and the California Institute of Technology have created origami-inspired soft-robotic systems, using additive manufacturing. These 3D printed soft robots can move and change shape by responding to external stimuli without relying on external power or control.

What is the role of 3D printing technologies in this field?

Jennifer A. Lewis, the Hansjorg Wyss Professor of Biologically Inspired Engineering at SEAS and co-lead author of the study, explains: “The ability to integrate active materials within 3D printed objects enables the design and fabrication of entirely new classes of soft robotic matter.” The researchers found that turning to origami allowed them to create multifunctional soft robots.

The 3D printed soft robot is folding

Under the same single structure, origami can create multiple shapes and functionalities. The materials used were liquid crystal elastomers that change shape when exposed to heat. By 3D printing two types of liquid crystal elastomers that respond to different temperatures, the researchers were able to program the structure to fold in a specific order. “Using hinges makes it easier to program robotic functions and control how a robot will change shape. Instead of having the entire body of a soft robot deform in ways that can be difficult to predict, you only need to program how a few small regions of your structure will respond to changes in temperature,” said Connor McMahan, a graduate student at Caltech and co-first author of the paper.