Multi-material Manufacturing System for Rapid Prototyping Octopus-Inspired Autonomous Arms for Soft Robots
Abstract
This proposal aims to establish new manufacturing capabilities for fabricating the novel active soft material-metal hybrid complex 3D architectures with 10-#m resolution and overall cm scale final product size. This will enable the rapid prototyping of soft robots with octopus inspired distributed neuromuscular sensing and actuation. The octopus neuromuscular structured-inspired design of the soft arm has metallic sensing elements distributed in the polymeric, soft actuating muscle. Current additive manufacturing methods normally do not havethe capability of fabricating 3D structures of metallic material at mild condition that are compatible with soft polymeric material at micron-resolution and large printing size at low cost. Hence, to achieve these goals, in this proposal we propose to custom design and build a multilateral projection micro-stereo-lithography (MPM) system from optical and mechanical parts with home-built software, to establish the novel manufacturing capability to rapid prototype thesoft arms by 3D printing active soft polymeric materials as the ~muscle~ and metallic components as the ~neuron~ distributed in the muscle material, coated with inactive polymer as the ~skin~ with micro-fibrillar adhesive. We will set up a mechanical testing platform to characterize the dynamic mechanical properties of the muscle material and 3D structures fabricated with our proposed manufacturing system, to better inform the manufacturing and design process.The proposed fully automated multiple-material manufacturing system that can, for the first time, print both polymer and metal in a single printing process at room temperature with an existing projection stereo lithography technology. This can lead to transformative impacts in the Naval, Air Force, and broader DOD research areas, as the proposed system will 1) establish unprecedented research capability that cannot be realized by the current commercial additivemanufacturing systems and rapid prototyping methods, which will enhance the reliability of autonomous robot, vehicle, or unmanned system navigation, 2) significantly expand the manufacturing capacity of stereo lithography (both polymeric and metallic materials) and efficiency (fast automated processing) to a new level, which will accelerate the innovation of intelligent materials, automation system, and robotics, and 3) provide unprecedented advantagesand broader utilities by hybridizing inexpensive flexible polymer-based soft system with conventional electricity-reliant, rigid MEMS-based systems with improved decision making reliability of intelligent systems and survivability of soldiers.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jul 10, 2018
- Source ID
- N000141812314
Entities
People
- Ximin He
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy
- University of California, Los Angeles