The project is based on a soft robotic gripper and a walking soft robot originally developed by the Whitesides Group at Harvard University: This project will describe how to make simple, air-powered soft robots that are made from silicone rubber, and shaped using a 3D printed mold. Existing robots include a robot worm that can survive being hit with a hammer, a rolling soccer-ball shaped robot, a gripper filled with coffee beans, and even an artificial octopus tentacle. These robots are made out of soft, stretchable rubbers and plastics, and driven by things ranging from compressed air to chemical reactions and materials that change shape due to electrical current or voltage. Forget what you usually think about robots and machines - gears, pulleys, circuit boards, aluminum and steel. 'Soft robots' are all the rage in the robotics research community right now. Special thanks to the Ithaca Generator and Ithaca Sciencenter for providing audiences to help us test this project. The work at Cornell was sponsored by the National Science Foundation (DRL-1030865) and the Motorola Foundation. Hod Lipson), with the assistance of Prof. Ben Finio) in the Creative Machines Lab at Cornell University (PI: Prof. These instructions, which modified the Whitesides Group's original process to be cheaper and more kid-friendly, were developed by a postdoctoral researcher (Dr. For more details about the development of the technology and its uses, see the papers Soft Robotics for Chemists and Multi-Gait Soft Robot, and check their publications page for new work. Credits: The soft robot technology in this project was originally developed in the Whitesides Group at Harvard University. This gripper will cost less to order from a 3D printing service and won't require as much air to inflate (easier to inflate with a single pump from a squeeze bulb). Thanks to the education staff at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, PA for pointing that out! Update (): smaller, cheaper 'mini' gripper STL file has been added. Read before you try this project! Update (): MUCH cheaper option added to the materials list to replace the squeeze bulbs.

Update (): Important note about 3D printer materials added below.

Download Gripper