PneuBots Yumuşak Robotik Yapı Kiti by Hye Jun Youn

PneuBots Yumuşak Robotik Yapı Kiti by Hye Jun Youn is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2022 A' Design Award Bronz Ödülü in Eğitim, Öğretim Materyali ve Eğitim İçeriği Tasarımı Competition Category.

BronzEğitim· 2022

PneuBots Yumuşak Robotik Yapı Kiti

by Hye Jun Youn

Client: PneuBots

A' Design Award Bronz Ödülü Winner in Eğitim 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 Yumuşak Robotik Yapı Kiti

PneuBots, öğrenme ve yaratıcı üretim için tasarlanmış modüler bir yumuşak robotik yapı kitidir. Kit, yedi tür kendiliğinden katlanabilir segment, üç tür pnömatik bağlantı parçası ve ayırıcı ile 200 x 70 x 100 milimetre ölçülerinde özel bir kutu içermektedir. Her modül, CNC frezeleme ve ısıyla presleme yöntemleri kullanılarak origami esinli desenler boyunca kaynatılmış iki katman PVC filmden üretilmiştir. Modüller, ağızla şişirme valfleri aracılığıyla şişirildiğinde büzülür, kıvrılır veya bükülür. Bu kit, yumuşak robotik alanını keşfetmek isteyen sanatçılar, tasarımcılar, mühendisler ve üreticiler için giriş engelini azaltmaktadır.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Bronz Ödülü

PneuBots Yumuşak Robotik Yapı Kiti, A' Design Award Bronz Ödülü kazananıdır; bu, yaratıcılık, buluş gücü ve kurnazlıkla öne çıkan olağanüstü tasarımlara verilen son derece prestijli bir tanınırlıktır. Bronz kazananlar, tasarımcılarının engin deneyimini, hayal gücünü ve becerikliliğini doğrulayan fazlasıyla yetenekli ve çarpıcı biçimde yaratıcı nesnelerdir. PneuBots Yumuşak Robotik Yapı Kiti, çok itibar gören, hayranlıkla izlenen ve sevilen, dikkat çekici derecede profesyonel ve yenilikçi bir nesne olması beklenir. A' Design Award Bronz Ödülü kazanan bu tasarım, sanat, bilim, tasarım ve teknolojideki en iyi uygulamaları bünyesinde barındırır ve ayrıntıya gösterdiği özenle mükemmeldir. PneuBots Yumuşak Robotik Yapı Kiti ihtiyaçları muhteşem biçimde karşılar, arzulara dokunur, duyguları büyüler ve merakı çeker.

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