- Harvard Engineers Created Robotic Muscles Using Rotating Multi-Material 3D Printing Techniques
- Hollow polyurethane tubes filled with air or fluid allow pre-programmed movement
- A spiral actuator deploys while a gripper wraps fingers around objects
A team of Harvard engineers has developed a 3D printing technique that allows fully flexible structures to twist, bend or lift on demand, creating what researchers describe as a robotic “muscle.”
The method, called rotary multi-material 3D printing, merges multiple printing methods and allows for the simultaneous deposition of multiple materials via a single nozzle that rotates continuously during printing.
This allows precise control of how the materials interact, producing hollow tubes that can be pressurized to generate movement in a pre-programmed manner.
How does the printing method work?
The technique uses a strong outer layer of polyurethane to protect an inner gel-like polymer called poloxamer.
Once printing is complete, the interior gel is removed to leave hollow tubes that act as actuators capable of twisting or bending when filled with air or fluid.
The researchers demonstrated the process using a spiral flower-shaped actuator that deploys when inflated and a hand-shaped pincer capable of wrapping its fingers around objects.
The nozzle design, rotational speed and material flow are calibrated to determine exactly how the printed structure will move, allowing motion logic to be integrated directly during printing.
Traditional soft robotics requires casting individual components and assembling them layer by layer, a laborious and time-consuming process.
In contrast, this 3D printing method can produce a complex, functional structure in a single print, with movement logic coded into the material itself.
The approach has potential implications for industrial-scale production, potentially reducing both the time and cost of creating malleable robotic structures.
Researchers suggest it could accelerate innovation across industries if scaled successfully, from prosthetics to underwater construction.
But here’s the scary part… these robots could manipulate objects in crowded or industrial environments, causing accidents if they break down or behave unpredictably.
The widespread adoption of these highly adaptable robots in workplaces could also accelerate job losses and even major industrial accidents if not properly controlled.
These scenarios show why some may view the capabilities of this advancement as somewhat terrifying.
While this advancement is impressive, the speed and simplicity of this method raises questions about long-term safety and monitoring.
There are also concerns about the ethical use of programmable robotic muscles in human-adjacent environments.
Published in Advanced materialsthis technique is now the subject of a patent pending, but until it is successfully applied on an industrial scale or in environments involving human interaction, its practical impact and potential risks remain uncertain.
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