PneuBots Kit de Construção de Robótica Flexível by Hye Jun Youn is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2022 A' Design Award de Bronze in Design de Educação, Auxiliares de Ensino e Conteúdo de Formação Competition Category.
BronzeEducação· 2022
PneuBots Kit de Construção de Robótica Flexível
by Hye Jun Youn
Client: PneuBots
A' Design Award de Bronze Winner in Educação Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #137958The Design
About PneuBots Kit de Construção de Robótica Flexível
O PneuBots é um kit modular de construção em robótica flexível voltado para a aprendizagem e a criação criativa. O kit contém sete tipos de segmentos autodobráveis, três tipos de conectores e divisores pneumáticos e uma caixa personalizada com 200 por 70 por 100 milímetros. Cada módulo é feito de duas camadas de filme de PVC seladas ao longo de padrões inspirados no origami, por meio de fresagem CNC e prensagem térmica. Os módulos contraem-se, enrolam-se ou dobram-se quando insuflados através de válvulas de insuflação oral. O kit reduz a barreira de entrada para artistas, designers, engenheiros e criadores que desejam explorar a robótica flexível.
The Recognition
About the A' Design Award de Bronze
PneuBots Kit de Construção de Robótica Flexível conquistou o A' Design Award de Bronze, um reconhecimento altamente prestigiado atribuído a designs notáveis que se distinguem pela criatividade, engenho e perspicácia. Os vencedores do Bronze são artefactos amplamente habilidosos e surpreendentemente criativos que comprovam a vasta experiência, imaginação e capacidade de iniciativa dos seus designers. Espera-se que PneuBots Kit de Construção de Robótica Flexível seja um objeto muito considerado, admirado e estimado, notavelmente profissional e inovador. Este design vencedor do A' Design Award de Bronze incorpora as melhores práticas em arte, ciência, design e tecnologia e é excelente pela sua atenção ao detalhe. PneuBots Kit de Construção de Robótica Flexível satisfaz esplendidamente necessidades, toca desejos, encanta sentimentos e desperta curiosidade.
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
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