Manufacturing Process of Metal Clips for Robotic Reading Light
1. Introduction
3D printing is an additive manufacturing (AM) process defined as 'the process of joining materials to make objects from 3D model data, usually layer upon layer, as opposed to subtractive manufacturing methodologies, such every bit traditional machining' [1,2]. 3D printing tin evangelize parts of very sophisticated and circuitous geometries with no need of mail service-processing, congenital from custom-fabricated materials and composites with nigh-zero material waste material, while being applicable to a diversity of materials, including smart materials such equally shape memory polymers and other stimulus-responsive materials. Therefore, 3D printing is a technology that offers increased 'design freedom' and allows designers and engineers to create unique products that tin be manufactured at low volumes in a cost-effective way. One of the master example of the design freedom offered is that conventional assemblies can be restructured in a unmarried complex construction that could not be manufactured with the current manufacturing processes. Another commuter of the 3D printing technology is that it is environmentally and ecologically favourable. 3D printing technologies and methods are growing often in terms of application and market share, spreading into various manufacturing divisions, such as robotics, motorized, health and aerospace and are expected that this substantial growth volition keep over the next few years.
In the final few years, there has been a meaning trend towards the use of 3D printing applied science to fabricate soft robots for various applications. Soft robots is a very immature enquiry expanse and mostly inspired by nature mechanisms which are optimized since centuries for a particular chore. Mechanical robots and machines are made of hard materials that limit their ability to elastically deform and accommodate their shape to external constraints and obstacles. Although they take the capability to be extremely powerful and precise, these rigid robots tend to be highly specialized and rarely exhibit the rich multi-functionality of nature. The soft robots are the adjacent generation of robots which are elastically soft and capable of safely cooperating with humans or steering through constrained environments. Just every bit a mouse or octopus tin can squeeze through a modest hole, a soft robot must be elastically deformable and capable of steering through narrowed spaces without inducing dissentious internal pressures and stress concentrations [3,4].
The soft robots are primarily composed of fluids, gels, functional polymers and other easily deformable matter. These materials exhibit many of the aforementioned elastic and rheological properties of soft biological affair and allow the robot to remain operational even as it is stretched and squeezed. More importantly, all these materials are compatible with the current 3D printing engineering. Conventional soft robot fabrication arroyo involves moulding, and casting is increasingly replaced with 3D printing engineering science because 3D printing is faster and more reliable. While a number of comprehensive reviews exist that focus on individual 3D printing technologies [two,5–26], 3D printable materials [12,27–29], soft materials [thirty,31], soft actuators [32–34] or specific applications [35–41] exist, a review of 3D printing in soft robotics is withal absent. This review comprises a detailed survey of ongoing 3D printing techniques for soft robots. In an effort non to overwhelm the reader, the scope of the newspaper is limited in several ways. The focus is on 3D printing fabrication technologies with soft construction examples, materials that tin be 3D printed for soft robotic applications and soft medical devices that are 3D printed. The review is divided into four sections. In Section ane, we overview the 3D press technologies for soft robots, Section 2 is related to printable smart materials, Section 3 focuses on biological 3D-printed soft robots for in vivo and in vitro studies and we close with a broader perspective recommending time to come enquiry directions and applications.
1.one. Relation between 3D printing & soft robots
Soft robots do not require fluidics, pneumatics or inflation instead of which they demand tendons, shape retention coils, muscle-like actuators, etc. [42]. Hence, they can be built from commercially bachelor soft materials and 3D printers, with a drawback that such materials cannot be transformed in every desired way. Furthermore, 3D printing has a limitation of speed and difficult scalability and so currently the work on soft robotics is going on within the technological constraints of currently available 3D printers. 3D printing is a very slow process, merely this is not a major issue, as no-one at this initial stage is looking for the mass production of soft robots. Yet the loftier specificity and power to print the well-nigh complex shapes makes 3D printing an extremely attractive choice for the fabrication of soft robots. Ability sources are an integral role in most of the newly developed soft robots [43] and 3D printing is an extremely useful technique to intelligently identify them inside soft structures. However, one fundamental business organization in using 3D press technology for developing soft robots is that 3D printable soft materials take a large tendency to deform under the normally used forces during the edifice process due to their own weight so a support material becomes a necessity. There is room for the evolution of such a cloth that can become soft after being printed as a rigid structure. There are commercially available 3D printers with the ability to develop complex structures through viscoelastic hydrogels to be printed in span with cocky-supporting structures [44]. Hydrogels tin can deport pressures from kilopascals to megapascals. The range of such materials has recently been extended to other soft materials and elastomers. The enquiry group of Jennifer A. Lewis working on the applications of 3D printing engineering science has developed an omnidirectional technique with the ability to print extremely soft materials such as liquids that can exist held in place through polymerization at a later stage [4]. The problem of providing a back up fabric is well addressed while using the technique of photolithography for the evolution of soft structures as printing takes identify inside a resin bath in which the unused resin can restrict the deflection of soft materials. A enquiry team based on the students of Delft University of Technology has introduced an additional feature for 3D printing that has the ability to cast silicones in a 3D-printed trounce [45]. This low cost and advanced technique can exist used to achieve new heights past creating those soft robotic products that were not possible earlier. This technique is known equally UltiCast; it can print extremely complex shapes that are very difficult to achieve through typical 3D press techniques such as fused deposition modelling (FDM) considering each hot filament layer deforms the subsequent filament layers. A soft actuator can be printed inside a mould through the technique of UltiCast as it volition eradicate the manual casting process hence resulting in faster speed. The freedom to personalize the robotic behaviour through controlling the robot geometry has immune to print a custom-fabricated soft gripper. Low price 3D press procedure can have several applications in soft robotics. It has another inspiring aspect that it can be extremely useful in the medical sector every bit it can reduce the cost of operation with assisted movement. A soft robotic glove with soft actuators inside it was recently developed through 3D printing and can be helpful in moving homo fingers. This soft robotic 3D-printed glove can exist useful for those who are suffering from limited hand function, local paralysis and arthritis or information technology can be used every bit a rehabilitation tool. Shape morphing materials with photosensitivity, thermal activation and responsive to h2o tin also be printed now a days through 3D printing applied science. These materials are extremely useful for soft robotic applications as they can exist brought to whatever desired shape using heat, lite or water. The scientists take even fabricated a 3D-printed cat tongue as a development in soft robotics later on the successful experiments of a jamming-based gripper, a prosthetic hand and a 3D-printed soft robot with four legs that tin walk on not-compatible and rough surfaces such as pebbles and sand. Such soft robots tin can take function in rescue operations or used for the applications of collecting sensor information from unsafe environments. This could simply become possible due to the power of 3D press technology to build extremely complex structures consisting of both soft and hard materials inside soft robot legs. The power of integrating soft and hard materials in a single construction can lead us to the realization of more compliant next generation soft robots that volition be safer for human contact than their predecessors. Researchers take likewise managed to develop a soft robotic hand through 3D printing technology with the ability feel surfaces like the natural paw of man beings. Dissimilar other soft robotic hands that grip and sense through motors, this newly adult hand by Shepherd and his squad uses its external fingertips to collect information through really feeling the responsiveness internally [46]. Such advancements in the field of soft robotics were not possible had it not been the technological progress of 3D press technology over the last two decades.
i.two. 3D-printed biomimetic soft structures
3D press engineering gives much freedom to designers and also simplifies the execution of effective robotic pattern principles, such equally separation of control and ability actuators. It also enables the investigation of mechanically complex designs. Wehner et al. reported the fabrication of an integrated design strategy for an entirely soft and autonomous robot inspired by the octopus. They used a hybrid fabrication engineering including moulding, soft lithography and multi-material embedded 3D printing. The rapid fabrication approach and integrated design proposed in this study facilitates the programmable assembly of several materials inside a unmarried body to realize an entirely soft robot [47]. Mosadegh et al. developed a pneumatic network for the rapid actuation of soft robots fabricated through hybrid technique of 3D printing and lithography using elastomeric materials. A new pattern of pneumatic networks was proposed in this written report. The advantage of their pattern is the reduction in the required level of gas needed for inflation of such networks resulting in much faster actuation. The fabricated actuators tin be operated for more a million cycles without any noticeable degradation in the obtained results [48]. Martinez et al. designed and made the soft tentacles using the 3D press technology of additive manufacturing for the fabrication of moulds for elastomeric casting. These soft tentacles were based on micro-pneumatic networks spatially distributed at the interface of 2 different elastomers with the ability of complex 3D motion. The range of motion and the power of these tentacles to grip different objects with arbitrary shapes was successfully demonstrated in this work [49]. Vocal et al. reported the utilize of soft pneumatic actuators for the purpose of providing a physical back up that would help in healing the spinal cord injuries of penalized animals by providing support to hip joint movement. The experiments were carried out on a living rodent. To perform the required study, a soft robot was fabricated through 3D printing technology. The torso of the soft robot consisted of three main parts including mainframe, soft actuators and the soft couplings [fifty]. Umedachi et al. made a 3D-printed soft robot to mimic the motility of a caterpillar. They termed it every bit a 3D-printed soft (3D-PS). This 3D-PS has the power to crawl, inch and steer like a real caterpillar. This motion was fabricated possible by embedding a combination of shape memory alloy (SMA) wires in the body of 3D-PS and by passing electrical current through them. The motility of 3D-PS was restricted to forward and backward management only. The fabrication of these 3D-PS robots using 3D printing arroyo was quick, elementary and cost-effective [51]. Kim et al. fabricated soft skin module using 3D-printed additive manufacturing for the awarding of safe interaction between a human and robot. Entire fabrication of module prototypes was carried out using a multi-material 3D printer. This soft skin module strongly diminishes the issue of impact forces due to collisions. These modules can be fastened to various robotic systems with the power of very gentle physical interaction with soft objects [52]. Bartlett et al. used multi-cloth 3D-press technology for the manufacturing of a combustion-powered robot. This robot gained power from the combustion reaction between oxygen and butane to perform democratic jumping. This arroyo encouraged high-throughput prototyping by allowing quick design repetition with no added cost for increased morphological difficulty [53]. Katzschmann et al. presented the fabrication of a hydraulic democratic soft robotic fish and illustrated its locomotion in three dimensions. They used 3D printing technology for the fabrication of soft body parts to develop robotic fish assuasive capricious internal fluidic channels and a wide range of constant body deformations for continuous bending. The olfactory organ of the fish was as well made through 3D printing that acted as a waterproof house for the installed electronics such as motor commuter, microcontroller and wireless communication system [54]. Onal and Rus made a soft robot through 3D printing technology that was bio-inspired from the shape and motion of a snake with the power to undulate in a like pattern to a real serpent using the actuation power without human assist. The every bit-made soft snake robot was autonomous with onboard ciphering, control, power and actuation capabilities. The robot had four bidirectional actuators to create a wave through its entire body from caput to tail. The fourth dimension it took to fabricate the soft robotic ophidian was fourteen h with the power to reach an average locomotion speed of 19 mm s−1 [55]. Homberg et al. applied the technique of 3D press for the fabrication of a soft robotic hand with multi-fingers and power to grip various solid objects such every bit a CD, paper, pen, soda tin etc. Resistive bend sensors were installed in each finger to distinguish between different objects. It had the ability to recognize a set up of objects owing to the stored data from internal flex sensors. Each finger of the soft robotic hand had an independent sensing ability [56]. Umedachi et al. fabricated a soft worm robot by 3D printing engineering science, having loftier deformable capability from rubber like material. The reported soft worm does not require whatever fluidic or pneumatic actuators every bit they are powered electrically through SMA coils. The results of this study had of import inferences for the ongoing enquiry on soft animal locomotion and for designing other multipurpose deformable robots [57]. Figure one shows examples of 3D-printed soft robots for various applications.
3D printing for soft robotics – a review
Published online:
08 March 2018
2. 3D printing technologies
In this section, we volition present introduction of diverse fabrication techniques based on additive manufacturing to testify its ability to produce elementary and complex soft robots with various applications. In additive manufacturing, a computer-controlled transformation stage typically changes a design-generating device, either in the course of an ink-based print head or laser optics to fabricate the desired objects in a layer by layer pattern. During the process of additive manufacturing, patterned regions composed of powders, inks or resins are solidified to produce the desired 3D shapes. These 3D-printed objects are a physical realization of the digital designs. Several bones additive manufacturing printing techniques have been presented since the introduction of 3D printing. The applied science has advanced from making basic prototypes to fabricating finished products. The explicit solidification and patterning method used by a given additive manufacturing technique exhibits the minimum feature size that can be achieved and the sort of printable soft materials that can be used. The major differences in the bachelor bones printing methods are mainly related to increasing printing speed, enhancing press resolution, reduced material consumption and deploying multiple materials in the printing of a desired 3D object [58]. The role of these basic condiment manufacturing techniques in the field of soft robotics is presented below. Figure 1 shows the multi-material 3D printing system by Advanced Micro Mechatronics (AMM) Research Lab, Jeju National University, Republic of korea and few printed soft robots (Effigy ii). Table 1 summarizes the 3D printing technologies with respect to soft robots. Working principles of vi main 3D printing technologies used to fabricate soft robots are illustrated in Figure 3.
3D printing for soft robotics – a review
Published online:
08 March 2018
Tabular array ane. Summary of 3D printing technology with respect to soft robots.
3D printing for soft robotics – a review
Published online:
08 March 2018
ii.1. Stereo lithography
A liquid resin is selectively photopolymerized in the SLA procedure by a light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation. After the press showtime layer, a new layer is introduced and afterward cross-linked by local illumination. This procedure of depositing liquid resin layer by layer is repeated several times until the printing of chosen 3D object is finished. Diverse other novel additive manufacturing techniques such as continuous liquid interface production (CLIP), digital projection lithography (DLP) and two-photon polymerization (2PP), works on the same concept of SLA printing. However, 1 basic departure between SLA and these techniques is that SLA depends on point-source illumination in gild to pattern one part of a unmarried layer at a time whereas Clip and DLP have the ability to solidify a complete layer using dynamic liquid-crystal masks for the project of a mask pattern. There is a merchandise-off between several parameters of additive manufacturing such as build volume, printer resolution and press speed. DLP and CLIP are superior to SLA in printing speed whereas 2PP has the highest lateral resolution (~100 nm) of 3D-printed parts attributable to the benefit of the squared point-spread function. Highest resolution of 2PP makes it an ideal option for the fabrication of extremely circuitous micro-architectures with the limitation of reduced volume (~1 cm3) as compared to Clip that can print much larger volumes (~100 cm3) with the limitation of lower press resolution. SLA and other novel additive manufacturing techniques (CLIP, DLP and 2PP) based on its basic concept have the limitation that multi-materials cannot exist printed in a single go past either of these techniques [58]. Chan et al. fabricated a locomotive bio-bot using the additive manufacturing technique of stereolithography based on cardiomyocytes and hydrogels. Biological bimorph structure was used as the actuator for powering the bio-bot. Locomotive motion of diverse designs of bio-bots was tested by changing the thickness of cantilever. The extreme recorded speed of the bio bot was 236 g south−ane with an average deportation of ~354 m at a beating frequency of ~1.5 Hz [59]. In some other piece of work, Chan et al. fabricated a multi-fabric hydrogel actuators and cantilevers with an elasticity up to x3 kPa using the stereolithography technique. The use of SLA allowed simple, quick and easy shifting of material using a single structure of 3D printer. Stress was created on the cantilevers through the traction forces created by the cardiomyocytes. These cantilevers can be used for the prototyping of cell-based bio-hybrid actuators [threescore]. Peele et al. fabricated and tested incompatible pairs of folded soft actuators with four degree of liberty inspired by the motion of octopus tentacles. These fabricated soft actuators had the ability to sweep through their unabridged range inside lxx ms with intricate internal architectures. Soft structures were built using the additive manufacturing technique of stereolithography. The adult soft actuators had big actuation amplitudes. The proposed system is highly suitable for the evolution of soft machines that could interact and mimic the biological systems [61].
2.2. Photo-curable inkjet printing
Inkjet printing is similar to SLA in many ways with a deviation that a movable inkjet caput is used in this technique to apply a photopolymer existence activated past a UV lamp. The liquid photopolymer is printed on a build platform and the deposited layers are activated by UV lights followed by press of additional layers in a similar manner. Both additive manufacturing printing techniques of SLA and SLS are lite-based methods that are dependent upon laser. Although these techniques accept superior characteristic resolution but they accept the limitation of yielding rigid thermoset polymers past patterning with either just thermoplastic polymer powders or photopolymerizable resins. Insufficiently the 2d classification of printing techniques i.e. ink-based additive manufacturing methods have the added advantage of printing patterns using numerous soft materials in the form of printable and formulated inks using a wide variety of molecular, particulate or polymeric species. Such ink-based additive manufacturing techniques tin be categorized on the footing of diverse parameters such as ink's viscosity, shear yield stress, loss moduli, surface tension and shear elastic.
Several additive manufacturing methods use the concept of droplet-based press techniques such as inkjet printing on a powder bed, direct inkjet printing and hot melt printing. Soft materials deposited in droplet-based printing are similar to those of 2d forms. The inks used in these press techniques have low viscosity. The drib formation in these ink-based printing methods is highly dependent upon the printing parameters and characteristics of ink to exist printed. These characteristics of used ink include ink'due south viscosity (μ), ink's density (ρ), diameter of droplet (Fifty), surface tension (γ), nozzle diameter (d) and velocity of ejected droplet (v). For the successful printing of desired objects through inkjet printing, all these mentioned characteristics must be precisely controlled in order to achieve the right tradeoff between inertial forces, viscosity and surface tension. The fluid dynamics involved in driblet wetting, formation and spreading play a limited merely vital office in defining the resolution and surface roughness of the desired objects. Typical values for a few of the most important characteristics of inks are Fifty (10–30 μm), μ (2–twenty mPa s) and v (ane–10 ms−1) respectively. The loftier dependence of press parameters through ink-based techniques imply that it is hard to avoid bottleneck of nozzle during jetting ink of complex materials such as polymer inks with loftier concentration. However, this disadvantage is neutralized by the several other advantages offered by these printing methods including huge variety of printable materials, their well-established multi-nozzle arrays with the ability of supplying 100 1000000 drops/s and their sophisticated designs of print heads [58]. MacCurdy et al. made a hydraulically actuated hexapod soft robot in a single step using bellows actuators, soft grippers and gear pumps through multi-material 3D-inkjet printing system. They proposed a new process of inkjet printing for the simultaneous fabrication of desired 3D object using liquid and solid components and called it as printable hydraulics with the power to carry out consummate fabrication with various functionality of hydraulically actuated soft robotic structures. Furthermore, the applications of such soft robots fabricated through additive manufacturing have as well been demonstrated in this piece of work [62]. In our previous work, we made an in situ UV curable multi-material tri-legged soft bot inspired by the multi-footstep dynamic forward movement of a spider. A commercially available bio metal filament was used as an actuator embedded into the soft legs of a soft bot. The 3D printer used for the fabrication of this tri-pedal soft bot was custom fabricated with a rotational multi-head inkjet printing organization along with various lasers of different wavelengths. The whole fabrication was carried out using two soft materials such as polyurethane and epoxy in three-layered steps. The fabricated soft bot has the ability to move in a forward direction with a speed equally loftier equally 2.vii mm/s at a frequency of five Hz when applied with an input voltage bespeak of 3 V and a electric current equal 0.25 A respectively [63]. Lin et al. fabricated soft-bodied rolling robot in which they mimicked the motion of a caterpillar that tin generate their own momentum by curling themselves in the form of a round shaped wheel to escape from danger situations at a high speed of 0.two thousand s−1 within 100 ms. The as-made soft bot was helpful in exploring the control issues and dynamics of surface-to-air rolling. This caterpillar soft bot besides provided an estimate of the mechanical ability required for rolling that was shut to a locust jump [64].
2.3. Selective laser sintering
Primarily metals are used as the deposition material in additive manufacturing through SLS to grade desired 3D objects but mail service-processing such equally sintering, infiltration and finishing is required for completing device fabrication. The pulverization of metal material is rolled beyond a build platform and a laser is directed into the pulverisation followed by rolling the powder over the top of as-deposited layer and this process keeps on repeating till the desired 3D object is completely fabricated. The unused powder that does non form into the fabricated part of the 3D object remains in the build platform to support the object. Autonomously from metals, polymers are also used in SLS. Local treatment of polymer particles is carried out in a powder bed through heat by fusing them together with the help of rastering laser. Local sintering of the subsequent powder layer is carried out after printing a layer across the bed. Granulated powders with a typical diameter in the range of 10 –100 μm are used to facilitate the spreading. During the building process of the desired 3D object, the non-fused sections in the powder bed play the role of support material. In order to reduce material consumption, the unattached pulverisation is detached and reused after completing the fabrication of chosen 3D model and removing it from the pulverization bed. The minimum achievable pattern size using SLS is ~100 μm, slightly larger than the average particle size available in the powder bed [58]. Rost and Schadle adult a multi-finger soft robotic (4 fingers) mitt with 12 degree of freedom using SLS additive manufacturing technique. This hand mimicked a man manus and consisted of 12 pneumatic bellow actuators. This robotic hand had the ability to perform complex functions such as desired lifting, gripping, spinning and precise positioning of an object [65]. Roppenecker et al. used PA 2200 based on polyamide (PA 12, Nylon) fabric to fabricate multi-arm snake-like robot past SLS fabrication technique. They build various soft structures based on flexure hinges such as cup bound structure and helical structure that can be helpful in performing surgery inside the stomach tract. These SLS made structures had the ability to carry ~800 one thousand of weight [66].
ii.4. Direct ink writing
DIW is an alternative printing technique to FDM for additive manufacturing of desired objects under ambient conditions in which ink passes through a nozzle in a controlled manner. It is layer by layer addition technique in which materials are added both in planer and 3D form. The ink selection depends on its flowing parameters such equally viscosity, surface tension, shear stress and shear elastic modulus. Currently, the DIW technique offers the widest spectrum of printable materials such every bit electrical, biological and structural materials [58]. Unlike ink materials used are a colloidal pause, hydrogels, thermoset polymers and fugitive inks [67]. The distinguishable advantage of DIW printing method is its ability to print fugitive organic, filled epoxy inks and concentrated polymers with the fluid properties essential for the deposition of circuitous 3D designs. Characteristic values for the diverse ink parameters for DIW technique include printing speed (i mm s−i to ten cm s−1), ink viscosity (x2–tensix mPa s) and minimum filament diameter (1–250 μm) respectively. The magnitude of yield stress must exist greater than the practical stress in the print head in social club to induce menses through the printing nozzle. Additional processing steps like thermal curing or photopolymerization might be required in some cases to completely solidify the desired printed objects. Avoiding such additional steps from FDM press process might result in the undesired finishing of desired 3D objects equally the subsequent printed layers might not be well supported by the previously printed layer. Such a deficiency can be overcome by coupling print heads with hot chambers or ultraviolet light emitting diodes.
Ink-based printing techniques such as inkjet printing, DIW and FDM tin can simply be used for the condiment manufacturing of multi-materials. DIW offers the broadest range of printable materials, including biological, electric and structural materials. Multi-material DIW tin be realized either using microfluidic print heads with the flexibility of switching, core-trounce press and mixing or using multiple (single-nozzle) printheads, each with the dissimilar ink conception. These microfluidic switching nozzles have the ability to bandy between two different inks when desired. On opposite, mixing nozzles tin can exist used to impress materials with tunable conductive and mechanical properties of materials. Cadre-shell print heads produce filaments with concentrically layered materials with the added advantage of the dramatic increment in printing speed. 2 different inks tin exist patterned simultaneously using double multi-nozzle arrays but the nozzle size of these multi-nozzle arrays are comparatively larger (100–200 μm in diameter) with another limitation that such nozzles cannot exist addressed individually. Furthermore, a lot of efforts are being fabricated recently in straight writing inks by embedded 3D printing with the power to fabricate desired objects of soft materials. These options of DIW condiment manufacturing technique offering a substantial flexibility in the design and forms of 3D printable shapes [58]. Circuitous 3D shapes can be designed and made quickly using DIW printing technique. It does not require dies, expensive tooling or lithographic masks. DIW offers toll reduction, wide variety of materials and fabrications of arbitrary 3D structures that are essential for advancement in multidisciplinary research [68].
Robinson et al. demonstrated an artificial equivalent of sensory-motor onto soft, fluidic elastomer actuators (FEAs) through DIW printing technique. They used two inks for their written report including electrically insulating silicone and an ionically conductive hydrogel. Sensors were fabricated to permit tangible sensing and kinesthetic response in a pneumatically stimulated haptic device. The as reported capacitive skin allowed the detection of a compressive force of ∼2 N generated through pressing a finger on its top surface with an internal pressure level of ∼x kPa [69].
2.5. Shape deposition modelling
Shape deposition modelling technology is used for fabrication of circuitous geometries with heterogeneous materials mainly for the awarding of rapid prototyping. This is a cyclic process that consists of several steps including a deposition. The material in heterogeneous deposition is changed between each deposition process. Although this method was much amend than traditional manufacturing processes used for fabrication; all the same, there were some certain limitations in using this methodology every bit well such as high control is required, proper bonding amongst materials and imperfect machining of plastic leads to fatigue failure due to imperfection of surfaces. Xu et al. have reported the fabrication of cockroach limbs for the kickoff time using a soft, viscoelastic polyurethane material fabricated through SDM technology. They studied the damping and stiffness of these legs and their obtained model results were inspiring at low frequencies; still, they were not that appealing at higher frequencies. This report can inspire researchers to develop a novel material to further enhance the viscoelastic motility of the cockroach leg in a wide frequency spectrum [70]. Bailey et al. made a v-bar mechanism in which joints are replaced past flexures. They discussed the fabrication and blueprint of small robot limbs through the additive manufacturing technology of SDM with locally embedded actuators and sensors and changing stiffness. The fabric used for bar linkages was polyurethane owing to its high stiffness and soft viscoelastic nature. They studied the compliance and damping effects in this five-bar mechanism [71]. Cham et al. fabricated hexapedal robot by SDM. Their adult epitome was capable of attaining a maximum speed of iii.five body length per second (55 cm s−1). The prototypes were robust and optimal in functioning because design principles applied to these models were taken from biological studies of running animals [72].
Dollar et al. used the additive manufacturing technique of SDM to fabricate a complete robotic grasper with soft fingers with the functionality of typical metal prototypes with negligible complexity. The equally-fabricated gripper was extremely robust while maintaining the benefits of joint compliance with the inherent properties such as robust structure, low passive contact forces and large grasp range. The grasper had the power to motion with a maximum and abiding speed of ii cm s−1 until it reaches and grasp the desired object successfully [73]. Gafford et al. recently reported some other deployable surgical grasper fabricated through the same engineering science of SDM with pressure sensing lath to grasp and dispense some soft tissues during surgeries such as laparoscopic pancreatic surgery. The aforementioned grouping published another newspaper by improving their ain design afterwards feedback from surgeons in which they improved the surface interface of the tool with the tissues. Their pattern needed improvement in bending profiles of fingers in decoupling for more comfortability [74].
two.6. Fused deposition modelling
SDM is a solid freeform fabrication procedure which means it is congenital from start to finish rather than by removing backlog materials from a given object. It does this by layering back up material and the desired finished material. In this engineering, support material is laid down equally a base for the concluding material, concluding cloth is laid on top of the back up cloth and computer numerical control (CNC) mills the part to the desired shape. Soft materials are printed in the course of a continuous filament in FDM method with a single layer being deposited at a fourth dimension. 3D FDM provides the luxury of a wider range of printable geometries, their characteristic size and variety of ink designs. Thermoplastic filaments are fed past heating the extrusion head followed by solidifying them through cooling beneath their drinking glass transition temperature in FDM. The famous printable plastic filament materials used in this method are polycarbonate, polylactic acrid (PLA) and butadiene styrene (ABS). The polymer filaments offer a flexibility of being filled with carbon black particles in social club to boost the functionality of the printed objects. FDM has become an extremely famous pick for additive manufacturing during the terminal decade owing to its compatibility with mutual materials and ease of utilise. FDM has the added advantage of existence toll effective, convenient, highly reliable and requires very petty post-processing. Both inkjet printers and FDM have the ability to print main building materials beside sacrificial materials that back the spanning features. The drawbacks of FDM technology include low surface quality, low resolution and wrapping [58].
Morrow et al. made soft robotic actuators for the awarding of building soft robot prototypes using the additive manufacturing technique of FDM. They observed that their printed soft actuators were able to perform similar a moulded actuator with an average error of ~five% justifying its feasibility to be used in soft robotics applications. The internal and external diameter of the printed actuator by FDM was 15 mm and 20 mm respectively. It took them 40 min to complete the fabrication procedure [75]. Carrico et al. adult a fused filament-based soft agile 3D structure using a composite of ionic polymer and metal. This grouping reported for the first time the sensing and actuation characteristics of the ionic polymer-metal composite by incorporating them into the 3D structural designs. The procedure of additive manufacturing adopted past this grouping has the ability to print micro- and macro-scale actuator and sensors for soft robotic systems. A precursor material was extruded into a thermoplastic filament followed by the utilise of this filament past a custom adult 3D printer to get together the anticipated soft polymer structures. A chemical functionalization process was carried out to induce electro activeness in the 3D-printed structures. The movement of these soft actuators was then controlled past applying external voltage supply through electrodes [76].
Onal and Rus adult a modular approach towards soft robotics by manufacturing a snake inspired soft robot made through FDM technology of additive manufacturing. At that place work is based on the elastomeric actuation through mechanical energy transferred past the pressurized fluids. Such FEAs are cost-constructive, safe to use, fast and highly adaptable to robotic systems. The velocity of locomotion of the equally-fabricated soft snake robot was measured as ix.2 mm south−one. Each progressing step resulted in 52.3 mm of forward motility [77]. Mutlu et al. made a completely compliant soft robotic human finger made of flexible poly(vinyl chloride)(PVC) sheets through FDM engineering science. The stiffness of the complete robotic finger was augmented mechanically by controlling the stiffness expanding unit. The obtained results illustrated that the finger stiffness could be increased up to twoscore% depending upon the used material and thickness of the expanding unit of measurement [78]. Yap et al. 3D-printed soft pneumatic actuators using thermoplastic elastomer filament NinjaFlex (NinjaTek, PA) through FDM technology. They claimed that FDM was preferred because other existing fabrication methods for realizing soft pneumatic actuators with complex geometries are either time consuming or crave several steps. This grouping studied the textile properties, collected simulation results for the mechanical operation of printed actuators and evaluated their bending ability, durability and mechanical strength with an illustration of possible soft robotic applications. They made a soft gripper with the ability to grip and elevator heavy entities with dissimilar shapes and size. They too developed wrist exoskeletons and vesture hand to illustrate complex movements like bidirectional bending of soft actuators [79].
iii. 3D printable materials for soft robotics
Smart materials are the active materials that can undergo some appreciable change in 1 domain in response to external stimuli through another domain; the external stimuli may be thermal, chemic, mechanical, optical, wet, pH, pneumatic and electrical or magnetic field. Additive manufacturing or 3D printing of smart materials has been an astounding boost for researchers in the grade of 4D printing and soft robotics. When smart materials fabricated by 3D printing in a particular shape take the potential to modify their given shape or properties with repect to time under the influence of some external stimuli, this phenomenon is called 4D press [30]. Whereas, soft robotics is a broad term that includes actuators, artificial muscles, soft stretchable sensors, soft energy harvesting, pneumatic nets, electroactive polymers and soft electronics. The soft robotics is the field of mimicking of a natural organism using smart materials. This artificial organism prototype has not merely mimicked the shape and move of some natural organism but now information technology is also going to exploit all the traits of a natural organism. The revolution in 3D printing has accelerated the progress in soft robotics; it involves two types of contributions: directly printing of smart materials, and 3D printing of moulds for soft robotics. We have spotlighted this review with both types of condiment manufacturing in soft robotics. Smart materials which have been used in soft robotics or actuators for soft robotics are dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs), hydrogels, electroactive polymers (EAPs), SMAs, shape memory polymers (SMPs) and FEAs.
iii.one. Dielectric elastomers
3D printing of DEAs for soft robotics was first reported by Rossiter et al. [80]. DEAs are the grade of EAPs that undergo a change in strain upon applying the electric field. DEA tin can exist used equally artificial muscle considering it has the power to mimic mammalian muscles due to its large strain, loftier energy density and light weight. In that piece of work, authors presented the ii-membrane combative actuator having electrodes on both sides of each membrane. Upon applying the electric field to the upper membrane the actuator moved up and vice versa.
In some other work, DE was fabricated through 3D printing and a soft robot has been presented [81]. They 3D printed silicone films (Thickness ≈ 300 μm) and carbon grease films. The authors fabricated rectangular and circular DEAs, and through simulations and experiments they proved that rectangular DEA had larger actuation then circular.
iii.2. Shape retentivity polymers
SMPs are thermally activated retentiveness polymers that have a tendency to change their original shape when they are triggered by rut. SMP has been reported for actuation that was printed through 3D digital low-cal processing printer [82]. Polycaprolactone (PCL) cross-linked by methacrylate was used equally SMP; the printed structure of SMP was rigid at room temperature, having wax-like surface; when heated above the T g (55 °C), it becomes pliant and elastomeric. At this land, any deformation tin can be fixated by cooling below T g whereas by heating over again the structure regains its original shape. The 3D press of SMP was likewise reported through FDM technique [83]. SMP based on thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer (TPU) family unit was used in this written report that was processed into filament to make information technology compatible for FDM to fabricate SMPs can lead to the fabrication minimal invasive medical devices, sensors, wearable electronics and soft robotics.
3.3. Hydrogels
3D printing of hydrogels have been studied for applications spanning from medical devices to soft robots. There are many hydrogel materials and hydrogel soft actuators that can exist 3D printed and stimulated based on their respective stimulus due east.g. thermal, electrical, pH, magnetic and lite [84]. The common hydrogels include pluronic, alginate, chitosan, polyethylene oxide (PEO), polyethylene glycol (PEG), agarose and methylcellulose [85]. Recently, hydraulic actuation of hydrogels has been reported: near hydrogels consist of physically crosslinked dissipative polymer networks and covalently cross-linked stretchy polymer networks; physically cross-linked part of hydrogel was fabricated using a 3D printer by cross-linking the dissipative networks in pre-gel solutions [86]. A set of hydrogel actuators and robots equanimous of polyacrylamide (PAAm)-alginate hydrogels based on hydraulic actuation were fabricated.
three.4. Shape retentivity alloys
SMAs are the smart blend materials that deform and regain their original shape when stimulated past heat and more common SMAs are (Cu–Zn, Cu–Zn–Al, Cu–Al–Ni, Ni–Ti, Ni–Ti–Fe, Atomic number 26–Pt) [87]. A 3D-printed soft robot has been presented based on SMA-based actuation; the body of the soft robot was printed past multi-fabric printable 3D printer using two materials: one is soft safety-like cloth at room temperature, i.due east. TangoBlackPlus polymerized by monomers containing urethane acrylate oligomer, Exo-1,7,vii-trimethylbicyclo [ii.2.i] hept-2-yl acrylate, methacrylate oligomer, polyurethane resin and photo initiator [88]. The other is rigid plastic at room temperature, i.e. Verowhite is a rigid plastic at room temperature polymerized with ink containing isobornyl acrylate, acrylic monomer, urethane acrylate, epoxy acrylate, acrylic monomer, acrylic oligomer and photo-initiators. For actuator installation, SMA (nitinol) wires were used in the class of coils to mimic the muscle as nitinol has the ability to deform when stimulated by rut. The SMA coils were tactfully embedded into the 3D-printed soft robot trunk and were electrically actuated. This soft body robot embedded with SMAs produced circuitous and robust gaits including inching and crawling.
In another piece of work, a caterpillar-inspired soft-bodied rolling robot; GoQBot based on SMAs actuation has been presented in which the master body was made from positive and/or negative ABS plastic moulds built with a 3D printer using two kinds of castable commercially available silicone rubbers [64]. Similar to that of caterpillar muscles, the linear strains are converted into large displacements even due to minor changes in temperature. The SMAs are actuated by resistive heating using pulses of the current that simulate muscle tetanus. To exploit the actuation of SMAs in 3D-printed soft robots, another study is being reported here; the authors of this study presented a tri-legged soft bot with spider mimicked [63]. A customized rotational multi-head 3D printer was used to make the construction of tri-legged soft bot using ii materials: one is rigid (epoxy-based resin) and the other is flexible (polyurethane-based resin). Both the materials were cured instantly by UV lasers attached to the multi-caput. The SMA actuator was embedded into the body of tri-legged bot during the 3D printing fabrication, SMA generated a pulling force past deforming its shape in form of wrinkle when an electric signal is applied. The authors accept claimed that the 3D-printed soft robot powered by SMA actuator has a stable motion with a speed of 2.vii mm south−i.
3.5. Fluidic elastomers
FEAs are the relatively new class of smart materials having characteristics like low power actuation, highly extensible and adaptable. These elastomers consist of constructed elastomer films that operate past the expansion of embedded channels under pressure and when pressure level is applied, the FEAs volition continue their position with little or no boosted free energy consumption; they can be powered hydraulically or pneumatically but powered pneumatically has advantage because information technology provides a low viscosity power transmission medium [89,90]. Using FEAs, a work has been reported which demonstrates a highly extensible sensing skin integrated with soft, pneumatic actuators (FEAs) using 'DIW' 3D printing technique [91]. The rheological properties of FEAs were tailored by preparing the homogeneous blend of silicones with high and depression molecular weights. The shear thinning and yield stress characteristics of FEAs were adjusted to brand them flowable and printable through nozzle of DIW system.
iii.vi. Smart soft composite
Smart soft composite (SSC) cloth based on a typical smart actuator: a SMA; an anisotropic fabric (ABS); and a polymer (PDMS) matrix has been made by multi-nozzled 3D printer [92]. It showed a large in-plane/bending/twisting deformation with the assistance of SMA, ABS embedded in PDMS matrix. Silicone-based elastomers accept been used for soft robots actuated by inflation of a pneumatic network every bit they have the capacity to conduct the large strains (>700%) [48]. The composite structure of silicone elastomers (Ecoflex (Smooth-on, ebay, U.s.a.) and PDMS (4science.net Seoul, South korea)) was as well used to fabricate the soft tentacles equally PDMS is less flexible and then Ecoflex so used every bit rigid office of tentacle while Ecoflex was used for more flexible part [49]. Magnetorheological (MR), electrorheological (ER) and thermorheological (TR) fluids can exist actuated by their respective magnetic/electric fields and temperature and have the potential to exist used every bit soft robotics actuators. A soft mobile robot equanimous of multiple thermally activated joints driven past single actuator has been presented to describe TR activated soft robot [93]. This work described the locomotion of inchworm-like soft robot on flat smooth surfaces utilizing the active TR fluids to locally control the robot'southward global response to external loading.
4. 3D-printed biological soft robots
There is a vast multifariousness in soft robots and actuators that are existence developed to target the current biological issues. The robots can range from active implants to surgical and diagnosis robots depending on the target application. The two primary categories in which the biological soft robots can be divided are in vitro robots (operating outside the torso) and in vivo robots (operating within a living organism). Only like the term soft robot refers to at to the lowest degree one major soft component of the robot, the term 3D printed refers to at least one component of the system made through the help of additive manufacturing engineering. 3D press is unremarkably used to only fabricate the soft robotic parts that are either not possible or are very difficult to fabricate through conventional techniques. In this section, nosotros will specifically discuss the 3D-printed soft robots for in vitro and in vivo applications. Effigy four shows the biological soft robot 3D printed using AMM's multi-fabric 3D printing system.
3D press for soft robotics – a review
Published online:
08 March 2018
iv.i. 3D-printed in vitro robots
In vitro means annihilation that operates outside the body of a living organism in a controlled environment. 3D-printed soft robots have started to find their way in solving biological issues involving procedures carried outside the trunk of organisms. The edge soft robotics have over the rigid equipment is their flexibility, accuracy, degrees of liberty and ability to mould themselves co-ordinate to the target body shape for applications in surgery, exoskeletal active implants, therapeutic systems, diagnosis, artificial skin and and then on.
A soft robotic glove has been adult by scientists at Harvard [94] for combined assistance and at-home rehabilitation. The robotic glove comprises soft actuators with moulded elastomeric chambers to induce the specified motion through fluid pressurization. The glove is fabricated in multiple stages with the mould for the elastomers fabricated by 3D printing. The 3D printing enables to fabricate the soft robot's size and shape exactly co-ordinate to the patient's requirement. The soft robotic glove can assistance in restoring movement for the disabled by providing specific physiotherapy.
Similar in vitro soft robots have been developed for active exoskeletal prosthetics and rehabilitation purpose using 3D printing fabrication techniques [95]. A soft robot for gait rehabilitation of spinalized rodents has been adult with 3D-printed main frame of the robot and the mould for soft actuators [50]. A soft robotic sensing unit for human gait measurement with printed soft sensors and electronics and 3D-printed mould for assembly has been developed [96]. 3D-printed flexible electronics for monitoring of vital signs accept been developed to enable truly soft bio-robots [97]. 3D press assisted fibre-reinforced soft actuators capable of following complex trajectories accept been fabricated to develop active prosthetics for amputees [98]. Researchers from Australia accept 3D-printed flexure hinges for soft monolithic prosthetic fingers [99] that tin be combined with the soft actuators and 3D-printed framework to develop a complete working prosthetic hand. 3D-printed stretchable electronics including soft sensors and actuators are too beingness developed that can be combined with the exoskeletal implants to accurately mimic the bio-functionality of the actual man organs conferring the senses like touch and heat to the artificial robotic organs [58,79,100,101]. The soft electronic sheet is also referred to every bit the artificial pare by some researchers as it plays the office of actual peel on robotic organs [80,102–104]. Instrumented cardiac micro-physiological devices have been developed via multi-material 3D press that is capable to supplant the animal models for clinical drug testing. Near of the organ-on-chip models that are aimed to supervene upon the brute written report are 2D and are static models of the cultured cells of the organs to exist tested. The active 3D-printed working model of the organs with embedded sensors provides a style of not-invasive testing of tissue contractile stresses within cell incubator environment [105]. Other examples of soft muscular systems inside the human being body include stomach, tongue and diaphragm. These 3D-printed real-life muscular soft robotic models fabricated using bio-compatible materials and actual cultured cells can revolutionize the organ-on-chip research and tin can soon replace the current beast report-based diagnosis and drug testing process [106–108].
3D-printed soft robotics is also paving its way for surgical applications to perform complex precise movements and gripping objects in a way that is not viable using rigid robotic tools [52,61]. The soft robotic grippers mimic the actual human fingers to perform their tasks, thus combining the agility and dexterity of a man with the precision of a computer [49,56,109–111].
iv.ii. 3D-printed in vivo robots
Anything operating inside the trunk of a living organism and performing its functions is known as an in vivo system. 3D-printed soft robots are being used for in vivo surgeries, organ implants, targeted drug delivery, diagnosis of diverse disease and conditions and also in the treatment of sure medical conditions. For in vivo applications, there is a huge potential for soft robotics as the internal torso structure is also complicated to reach using rigid materials. As well, most of the internal trunk organs and tissues, except basic, are soft structures and require similar structures for their repair and replacement. 3D-printed soft and smart robotic implants chosen tracheobronchial splints have been developed to automatically adapt their shape and size within the blood vessels to treat tracheobronchial plummet in tracheobronchomalacia [112]. The major advantage of this active implant is its personalization for every pediatric patient. A soft 4D bio-material is printed by 3D SLS printing using the 3D model based on patient-specific pattern. A number of agile internal organ implants and repairs take been targeted using 3D-printed soft robots. A 3D-printed soft silicone center-inspired pump has been fabricated that tin can 1 twenty-four hour period enable artificial heart implants after further improvements [113]. 3D-printed soft bio-bots using bodily cardiomyocytes and bio-compatible hydrogels have been fabricated that volition i day repair the damaged eye tissues by the direct 3D printing of the soft actuators on to the subject's heart [59,114]. A soft robotic sleeve mimicking the material backdrop and natural motion of the heart has been developed and tested in vivo on pigs [115]. The 3D-printed implant increases the ejection output in the hearts of pig cadavers. This device is attached conformal to the heart surface without causing any inflammation or injury. 3D-printed soft biological machines powered by actual muscles are the outset footstep towards the repair of damaged muscles or replacement with fully functional 3D-printed muscles inside the trunk [116]. 3D-printed soft micro-bio-bots tin can exist employed for in vivo monitoring of various weather condition and disease. These robots tin can travel through blood vessels and nutrient track and attain the inaccessible areas of the man torso [117,118]. They can provide information of the vitals in the vicinity though embedded sensors and tin as well deliver targeted drug to the affected areas. Another class of 3D-printed soft robotic actuators tin be used in endoscopic monitoring and surgery by easily steering them through the vessels attributable to their soft form and multiple degrees of freedom in motion [119]. Table 2 summarizes the in vitro/vivo biological soft structures.
Tabular array 2. 3D-printed in vitro and in vivo soft structures.
5. Conclusions and hereafter trends
3DP offers unique advantages with respect to fabrication soft robots with a complex external anatomy shape and internal porous construction. Coupling complicated porous 3D design with AM techniques can create a range of soft robots with os and muscles from various materials. For soft robots, command over mechanical behaviour while retaining the designed structure is very of import. The exterior office of the soft robot is denser than the inner part, mimicking such structures is very difficult using 3DP, which is a challenge related to non-uniform shrinkage during sintering. Apart from the problems related to all 3DP settings as well as selecting suitable materials, usage of 3D printing in soft robotics is still a big challenge. In fact, there are many obstacles along this long and difficult route. The gap between the concept and the practical utilize of 3D printing comprises the main factors: the necessity of fabricating soft robots based on these blueprint specifications. Despite all the advances in materials science, and system development there are however major gaps in this field relative to the press multiple materials and adhesion between materials.
This field is still new and not much commercial fabrication has been done. A lot of 3DP techniques similar SLS and ink jet printing soft robots have been successfully made. Most reports have been express to using models as guide templates and for in vitro and in vivo experiments, whereas implantations of 3D-printed soft robots in the human body are even so rare. Demand for 3D printing technologies such equally SLS and 3DP volition increment in the future due to their capability to brand custom soft robots that can be tailored for awarding-specific and defect-specific needs. Integrating all central points mentioned as well every bit finding solutions to cope with the challenges and issues are important in guiding the progress of these techniques towards achieving the objective of advanced soft robots. Lastly, commercial success depends on new innovation in soft lithography, 3D press and other rapid prototyping technologies to mass produce soft structures and robots that are inexpensive and satisfy market need.
Disclosure statement
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Funding
This piece of work was supported by the National Inquiry Quango of Science & Technology (NST) grant by the Korea Regime (MSIP) [grant number CRC-fifteen-03-KIMM].
Source: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14686996.2018.1431862
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