PneuBots Ýumşak Robototehnika Gurnama Toplumy by Hye Jun Youn

PneuBots Ýumşak Robototehnika Gurnama Toplumy by Hye Jun Youn is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2022 A' Design Award Bürünç Baýragy in Bilim, Okuw Goldaw we Tälim Mazmuny Dizaýny Competition Category.

BürünçBilim· 2022

PneuBots Ýumşak Robototehnika Gurnama Toplumy

by Hye Jun Youn

Client: PneuBots

A' Design Award Bürünç Baýragy Winner in Bilim Category

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Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #137958

View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About PneuBots Ýumşak Robototehnika Gurnama Toplumy

PneuBots — öwrenmek we döredijilikli ýasamak üçin niýetlenen modully ýumşak robototehnika gurnama toplumydyr. Toplumda özi-özünden epilýän ýedi görnüşli segment, üç görnüşli pnewmatik birleşdiriji we bölüji, şeýle-de ölçegi 200x70x100 millimetr bolan ýörite gap bar. Her bir modul CNC frezirleme we gyzgyn pressleme usullary bilen origami äheňli nagyşlar boýunça possana edilen iki gatlak PVC plýonkadan ýasalýar. Modullar agyz arkaly dem üfleýji klapanlar arkaly howa doldurylanda gysylýar, towlanýar ýa-da egilýär. Bu toplum ýumşak robototehnikany öwrenmek isleýän suratkeşler, dizaýnerler, inženerler we ýasaýjylar üçin başlangyç päsgelçilikleri aradan aýyrýar.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Bürünç Baýragy

PneuBots Ýumşak Robototehnika Gurnama Toplumy A' Design Award Bürünç Baýragynyň ýeňijisidir; bu döredijilik, ussatlyk we ýiti akyl bilen tapawutlanýan tapawutly dizaýnlara berilýän aşa abraýly ykrarnamadyr. Bürünç ýeňijileri dizaýnerleriniň giň tejribesini, hyýalyny we tapawutlylygyny tassyklaýan örän ussat we geň galdyryjy derejede döredijilikli eserlerdir. PneuBots Ýumşak Robototehnika Gurnama Toplumy uly baha berilýän, haýran galynýan we söýülýän, üns çekiji derejede hünärmenlikli we täzelikçi zat bolmagy garaşylýar. A' Design Award Bürünç Baýragyny gazanan bu dizaýn sungatda, ylymda, dizaýnda we tehnologiýada iň oňat tejribeleri öz içine alýar we jikme-jiklige edýän üni bilen ajaýypdyr. PneuBots Ýumşak Robototehnika Gurnama Toplumy zerurlyklary ajaýyp derejede kanagatlandyrýar, isleglere degýär, duýgulary özüne çekýär we gyzyklanmany çekýär.

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