title: SOFT ROBOTICS. A 3D-printed, functionally graded soft robot powered by combustion.
abstract: Roboticists have begun to design biologically inspired robots with soft or partially soft bodies, which have the potential to be more robust and adaptable, and safer for human interaction, than traditional rigid robots. However, key challenges in the design and manufacture of soft robots include the complex fabrication processes and the interfacing of soft and rigid components. We used multimaterial three-dimensional (3D) printing to manufacture a combustion-powered robot whose body transitions from a rigid core to a soft exterior. This stiffness gradient, spanning three orders of magnitude in modulus, enables reliable interfacing between rigid driving components (controller, battery, etc.) and the primarily soft body, and also enhances performance. Powered by the combustion of butane and oxygen, this robot is able to perform untethered jumping.
authors.affiliation: School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
authors.forename: Nicholas W
authors.initials: NW
authors.lastname: Bartlett
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
authors.forename: Michael T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Tolley
authors.affiliation: School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
authors.forename: Johannes T B
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Overvelde
authors.affiliation: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
authors.forename: James C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Weaver
authors.affiliation: Dalio Institute of Cardiovascular Imaging, Department of Radiology, New York-Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10021, USA.
authors.forename: Bobak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mosadegh
authors.affiliation: School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
authors.forename: Katia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bertoldi
authors.affiliation: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
authors.forename: George M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Whitesides
authors.affiliation: School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Wood
mesh_terms: D057005:Bioengineering; D002073:Butanes; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000502:physiology; D008124:Locomotion; D010100:Oxygen; D066330:Printing, Three-Dimensional; D012371:Robotics
chemical_list: D002073:Butanes; C046888:butane; D010100:Oxygen