Actuator Fabrication
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Materials: Prepared Cardboard Molds Ecoflex 00-30 Printer Paper 1/8" OD tubing Curling Ribbon |
Pour Elastomer Into Top Mold
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To make the flexible top portion of the robot, fill the top mold with prepared Ecoflex so that the center block is submerged beneath roughly an 1/8" of rubber. |
Fabricate Strain Limiting Layer
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To make the bottom flat inextensible layer, cut a piece of office paper slightly larger than the top mold. Then spread a thin layer of Ecoflex across the inside of the bottom mold and place the paper inside. Flatten the paper and fill the mold with additional Ecoflex . Wait four hours for the Ecoflex to cure. |
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Assemble Actuator
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After the rubber has cured, remove both pieces from the molds. Inspect the inside of the top half for imperfections. If imperfections are found, paint the inside with Ecoflex to fill them. Allow the rubber to cure. |
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Assemble the actuator by bonding the two halves together with a layer of Ecoflex. Make sure that Ecoflex is on both the outside walls of the actuator in addition to the bottom.
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Wrap Actuator
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After the actuator has cured, wrap it in an inextencible ribbon such as curling ribbon. Wrap the actuator both clockwise and counterclockwise. Once the wrapping is complete, puncture one end of the actuator with the tubing. |
Inflate
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Connect the actuator to a pressure source and inflate. It is recommended to add another layer of rubber to the bottom of the robot to prevent the wrapping from moving during operation.
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