Soft Robotics: A DIY Introduction to Squishy, Stretchy, and Flexible Robots

Soft robotics is an emerging field that approaches robots in new ways, enabling them to operate in environments that are unstructured or unstable and to perform tasks that require delicacy and malleability. It's all about engineering with soft materials -- silicone, cloth, balloons, flexible plastics -- and combining them in different ways to come up with novel, approachable, and surprising solutions to interesting problems. This book introduces soft-robotics concepts to students, inventors, and makers with easy-to-understand explanations and hands-on DIY projects. The projects use a wide range of tools and techniques -- including microcontrollers, 3D printing, laser cutting, mold making, casting, and heat sealing -- to create intriguing soft robots and devices. It is tinkering at its finest! Code samples and 3D model files can be found at github.com/gianteye/makesoftrobots World's first DIY project book on soft robotics Written by designers working on the forefront of the field Approaches projects from simple introductions to more complex designs that build on what you know Explore robotics using novel materials and techniques you can apply to challenges far outside of robotics Soft robotics DIY projects that are relatively affordable, accessible and achievable. Explore and build creations from the brand new emerging field of robotics Provides context on the field of soft robotics alongside hands-on learning Teaches skills frequently overlooked Projects that are aesthetically appealing and novel Foreword by Chris Atkeson, whose research directly inspired the design of Big Hero 6's Baymax About the Author Matthew Borgatti is a maker, designer, and engineer. You may have seen monsters he's built, printed objects he's released, or watched videos he's made. Chances are there's one of his passports hanging around at your hackerspace. He is the founder and lead scientist at Super-Releaser, an open source soft robotics company dedicated to building the technologies that bring the robots out of the lab and into everyday life. They develop products, manufacturing methods, measurement equipment, and applications for soft robots. He earned a BFA in industrial design at RISD in '07. Between then and now he's built a fleet of plotter robots for Bond, worked on 5 books, developed projects in house for Instructables, built kite powered racers for Makani, designed the CNC curriculum at TechShop, and animated a TV series for NOVA. Kari Love is a soft roboticist at Super-Releaser and teaches concepts from soft goods engineering at NYU's ITP. She has also contracted on NASA-funded space suit research, built Broadway costumes, made and dressed puppets, spoke at the White House representing a hacker space, and been a Zero-G bridesmaid. All improbable, but factual.