For this week I want to explore Soft Robotics. More specifically Origami-Inspired Artificial Muscles design for soft robotics.
The immediate reference is this:
However, since the theme for more than half of my FabLab experience has been origami tessellations I thought it appropriate to give that a go.
Day 5
The design itself is the same I’ve been using for the test for my final project, I’m thinking of doing several tests with several materials, for both the the “skeleton” and the “skin”.
The first one is a paper cardboard skeleton, that I engraved with the laser cutter to mark out the lines for the tessellation pattern, folded them according to the design in valleys and mountains on each case, by hand.
That skeleton will go inside a soft vinyl sheet that sticks together when heated.
The vinyl has a smooth side and a rough side. The side that sticks together when heated is the rough one. The heat press machine I used is called Happy Press . After turning it on and waiting for it to get to temperature, 168 degrees, I pressed together all the sides of the vinyl paper around the paper cardboard skeleton. Parchment paper or cloth has to be used between the heat bed and the vinyl or it’ll stick to the heat press machine.
So I just put the skeleton inside the vinyl and heat pressed the sides of it to make an enclosure of sorts. I left a small hole to put the tube in to suck the air out of it.
I then attempted to use a heat gun to seal the vinyl around the tube but it didn’t work out particularly well.
Once I removed the outer plastic, though, the soft vinyl sheet was pliable enough that I could press it with my fingers around the tube and seal it to a satisfactory degree.
This of course isn’t the ideal way to do it, but it’ll do for the moment.
Day 7
I wanted to do another test with a plastic skeleton and a thicker skin, possible different design patterns but I ran out of time.
I found a double sided suction valve but was unable to test it. I’ll do it sometime next week if I can.
The ideal thing would be to have a small hole where the valve goes, and simply seal all the sides.
