Robot is 3D-printed upside-down in one piece, then walks out of the printer

a year ago

Scottish scientists have developed a mass-production-capable soft robot that is 3D-printed in a single piece and walks off the print bed.
The new quadruped robot, designed by The University of Edinburgh, is air-driven and takes nine hours to print.
It is made using a ~$500 open-source Flex Printer, constructed from off-the-shelf components, unlike the $1,000 printer used for the UC San Diego hexapod bot.
The robot is printed entirely out of soft, flexible thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), which is challenging to work with due to buckling and drooping issues.
Buckling was addressed by using a wider-diameter TPU filament (2.85 mm), making it seven times more resistant to buckling.
Drooping was solved by printing upside-down, allowing gravity to help layers fuse together.
The robot is powered by a pneumatic ring oscillator, delivering pulsating air to move its legs.
The open-source technology aims to boost soft-bodied robot development for exploration, medicine, and search and rescue.
Researchers believe this innovation removes manufacturing bottlenecks, enabling soft robotics to make a real-world impact.

Hasty Briefsbeta