PneuBots Instrumentum Constructionis Roboticae Mollis by Hye Jun Youn

PneuBots Instrumentum Constructionis Roboticae Mollis by Hye Jun Youn is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2022 Praemium A' Design Award Aeneum in Educatio Competition Category.

AesEducatio· 2022

PneuBots Instrumentum Constructionis Roboticae Mollis

by Hye Jun Youn

Client: PneuBots

Praemium A' Design Award Aeneum Winner in Educatio Category

27,133
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #137958

View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About PneuBots Instrumentum Constructionis Roboticae Mollis

PneuBots est instrumentum modulare constructionis roboticae mollis ad discendum et creandum aptum. Instrumentum continet septem genera segmentorum sponte plicabilium, tria genera connexorum et divisorum pneumaticorum, et arcam propriam mensuram 200 per 70 per 100 millimetra habentem. Quodque modulum ex duobus stratis membranae PVC efficitur, secundum formas origami inspiratas per machinationem CNC et pressionem calidam obsignatis. Modula, cum per valvas oris inflationis inflantur, contrahuntur, incurvantur vel flectuntur. Instrumentum limen ingressus minuit artificibus, designatoribus, ingeniariis et fabricatoribus qui roboticam mollem explorare cupiunt.

The Recognition

About the Praemium A' Design Award Aeneum

PneuBots Instrumentum Constructionis Roboticae Mollis victor est Praemii A' Design Award Aeneum, honoris multum aestimati formis egregiis, creandi ingenio, sollertia et acumine insignibus dati. Victores Aenei opera perita et mire creandi sunt, quae experientiam, imaginationem et solertiam auctorum suorum confirmant. Exspectatur PneuBots Instrumentum Constructionis Roboticae Mollis rem multum aestimatam, admiratam et carissimam, notabiliter professionalem et novam fore. Haec forma Aeneo victa optimas consuetudines artis, scientiae, formandi rationis et technologiae amplectitur et in cura minutiarum excellit. PneuBots Instrumentum Constructionis Roboticae Mollis necessitates egregie explet, cupiditates tangit, sensus capit et curiositatem allicit.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: PneuBots is a modular soft robotics construction kit consisting of seven types of self-foldable, quasi-inextensible segments, three types of pneumatic connectors and splitters, and a custom-designed box. The kit enables various assemblies to be made with the modular pieces, allowing creators to explore the world of soft robotics in playful ways.
Dimensions & Packaging: Toolkit Box, 200 mm x 70 mm x 100 mm
Tags: Soft Robotics, Construction kit, Pneumatics, Shape changing, Learning, Playful, Design, Art, Interactivity, Education
Production Technology: The modules of PneuBots were developed by a heat-pressing fabrication process, where two layers of PVC film were sandwiched together and then sealed along specific origami-inspired patterns. The CNC-milling plus heat pressing fabrication method achieves an accurate and smooth geometric pattern without wrinkles. Each PneuBots module has between one and five pneumatic ports with oral-inflation-valves. Modules can be connected to each other using three types of pneumatic connectors: Straight-shaped, T-shaped, and Cross-shaped.
Design Challenge: Some feedback from users mentioned the smooth surface of PVC film. Since the inflated modular blocks are slippery, the smooth texture may not be ideal for an interaction with objects with surface. Therefore, to extend PneuBots’ functionality, we are planning to create a layer of cloth such as an auxetic structure to generate friction between modules for more stable mobility. We will also eventually broaden the scope of our work to include more diversity in modular block design, and we are currently gathering data to determine the appropriate number of modular blocks to include in our basic package.
Research: A mixed method comprising of interviews and existing product reviews were used. The initial target user group was consisted of graduate students who are new to this field. Over the course of developing this project, we informally interacted with 20 graduate students from design and engineering background who provided feedback about the behaviors and interactions they want to achieve with soft robotic design concepts, and who also shared some of the barriers and obstacles that prevented them from realizing their goals.
Inspiration: Soft robotics is an emerging field with a very high potential for impact, which is also of strong interest to the Human Computer Interaction (HCI) and Haptic communities. Yet the barriers to entry for most makers are still very high, and they are even greater for those who come from nontechnical backgrounds. A constructive assembly kit in combination with carefully curated informational resources could significantly reduce the barrier to entry.
Project Duration: The project started in June 2021 in Korea and finished in January 2022 in the US.
Operation Flow: Seven PneuBots modules with different actuation patterns including shrinking, curling and bending were designed. There are three working shapes: line, diagonal, and diamond. A linear seam with a 5mm gap in the middle results in a shrinking mechanism. The diamond shape-hinge serves as the bending angle control. The diagonal line with a 5mm gap serves as the curling control. PneuBots allows seamless programmability of the different assemblies, enabling artists, designers, engineers, and makers to create dynamic, shape-changing, and interactive works that can be used for education, storytelling, and dynamic art.
Team Members: Hye Jun Youn, Ali Shtarbanov and Jooyoung Youn