Cornell University Engineers Develop 3D-Printed Robotic Tentacles
Posted on October 24, 2015
Cornell University engineers have developed a digital mask projection stereolithgraphy system for the 3D-printing of robotic tentacles. The robotic tentacles re-create the arrangement of muscles in an octopus tentacle. A photopolymerizable elastomeric material was used to make the tentacles.
Rob Shepherd, assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Cornell, is the senior author of the study. He says that until now it was not possible to directly print a soft robotic device with as much agility and degree of freedom as provided with the new 3D-printing method.
Shepherd says, "Based on the demonstration reported here and the possibilities for improved materials, this nascent printing process for soft actuators is a promising route to sophisticated, biomimetic systems."
Take a look:
A research paper on the 3D-printed tentacles can be found here in the journal, Bioinspiration & Biomimetics.
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