A Modular, Reconfigurable Mold for a Soft Robotic Gripper Design Activity

Zhang, Jiawei; Jackson, Andrew; Mentzer, Nathan; Kramer, Rebecca K.

doi:10.3389/frobt.2017.00046

Cited by 29 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…Grippers using FEAs represent one of the most mature technologies among soft grippers, such that the technology has been already spun off in industrial companies, and also used for educational purpose . However, most of the existing grippers manipulate only centimeter‐size objects and have limited or more often simply no sensing.…”

Section: Gripping By Actuationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Soft Robotic Grippers

et al. 2018

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Advances in soft robotics, materials science, and stretchable electronics have enabled rapid progress in soft grippers. Here, a critical overview of soft robotic grippers is presented, covering different material sets, physical principles, and device architectures. Soft gripping can be categorized into three technologies, enabling grasping by: a) actuation, b) controlled stiffness, and c) controlled adhesion. A comprehensive review of each type is presented. Compared to rigid grippers, end-effectors fabricated from flexible and soft components can often grasp or manipulate a larger variety of objects. Such grippers are an example of morphological computation, where control complexity is greatly reduced by material softness and mechanical compliance. Advanced materials and soft components, in particular silicone elastomers, shape memory materials, and active polymers and gels, are increasingly investigated for the design of lighter, simpler, and more universal grippers, using the inherent functionality of the materials. Embedding stretchable distributed sensors in or on soft grippers greatly enhances the ways in which the grippers interact with objects. Challenges for soft grippers include miniaturization, robustness, speed, integration of sensing, and control. Improved materials, processing methods, and sensing play an important role in future research.

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Section: Gripping By Actuationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Soft Robotic Grippers

et al. 2018

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“…The modular design can foster the confidence of students and meet education objectives to a certain extent due to its simple operation characteristics. 85 In summary, the molding method is a cost-efficient and facile process for the preparation of soft robots. However, it is difficult to manufacture internal volumes, undercuts, and complex internal structures, and the bubble-induced defects in the molding process need to be solved.…”

Section: Moldingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recent advances in biomimetic soft robotics: fabrication approaches, driven strategies and applications

et al. 2022

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“…Using design‐based research, analysis in years one to three of our project has demonstrated feasibility and led to improvements to the soft robotics curriculum for classroom settings. The molds and initial instructional plans were refined through small‐scale, local implementation before being expanded to multi‐district training and implementation for the research evaluation (A. Jackson, Zhang, et al, 2017; Zhang et al, 2017). Teacher recommendations were integrated into the lesson plan, and the lesson has been well received by these participating teachers.…”

Section: Curriculum Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

Increasing gender diversity in engineering using soft robotics

Jackson

Mentzer

Kramer‐Bottiglio

2021

J of Engineering Edu

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Background There is a well‐known gender disparity in the engineering field. Three of the most important factors related to the participation of women in engineering are differences in perceived societal relevance, technical self‐efficacy, and tinkering self‐efficacy. Purpose/Hypothesis Soft robotics is a relatively new engineering application with the potential to address these three factors. We investigated whether participation in a soft robotics design experience would improve students'—especially girls'—perceptions of engineering in contrast to a traditional, rigid robotics experience. Design/Method Soft robotics curriculum materials were developed for high‐school engineering classes using design‐based research. Seven teachers delivered soft and rigid robotics lessons; then 293 students reported their perceptions of motivation, interest, and self‐efficacy following the lessons and retrospectively. We examined the relationship between gender and lesson type and differences in perceptions of engineering over time. Results The soft and rigid robotics experiences promoted engineering interest and general, experimental, tinkering, and design self‐efficacy. Girls' perceptions of tinkering self‐efficacy particularly benefitted from the soft robotics lesson, mitigating gender differences. A robustness check compared the outcomes of different statistical models and verified the stability of the findings. Conclusions Soft robot design experiences emphasize materiality and iterative design, which contribute to enhanced tinkering self‐efficacy. The use of soft robotics in education represents a promising opportunity to integrate authentic engineering experiences, broaden perceptions of engineering, and support the development of future engineers.

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A Modular, Reconfigurable Mold for a Soft Robotic Gripper Design Activity

Cited by 29 publications

References 16 publications

Soft Robotic Grippers

Soft Robotic Grippers

Recent advances in biomimetic soft robotics: fabrication approaches, driven strategies and applications

Increasing gender diversity in engineering using soft robotics

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