Posted on 03/27/2025 5:17:44 AM PDT by Red Badger
This robot can walk, without electronics, and only with the addition of a cartridge of compressed gas, right off the 3D-printer. (CREDIT: David Baillot/University of California San Diego)
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In a nutshell
* Scientists have developed a fully 3D-printed robot that can walk, climb, and even move across waterwithout the need for electronics. It uses pneumatic pressure to control movement, demonstrating a new approach to robot design.
* The robot is created in a single 58-hour 3D-printing process, with no need for manual assembly. The entire structure, including its functional components, is printed as one cohesive unit, simplifying production.
* This breakthrough in 3D printing opens up possibilities for robots to operate in environments where traditional electronics might fail, such as underwater, in high-radiation areas, or in hazardous conditions like mines.
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SAN DIEGO — A robot just walked out of a 3D printer. Scientists from UC San Diego and BASF just created a fully-formed six-legged robot, no assembly required. The machine only needs only air pressure to walk, climb slopes, and even traverse water. Unlike traditional robots cluttered with electronics and wires, this creation points to a future where complex machines might be as simple to produce as pressing “print.”
The achievement, described in a paper published in Advanced Intelligent Systems, marks real progress toward what roboticists have long viewed as a “holy grail” – robots that can be completely fabricated in one go with minimal human intervention. While most robots today need complex assembly of various components, including electronic circuits, motors, and sensors, this new approach shows how an entire functioning robot can be printed as a single piece.
How It Works: Pneumatic Power Instead of Electronics
At the heart of this innovation is a clever pneumatic oscillating valve system that replaces electronic controls. Most soft robots today depend on electronic components to control their movements, which often means they must remain tethered to an external control system. This new robot needs only a constant source of pressurized air to walk immediately after printing.
The valve system controls the robot’s six legs by directing air through different pathways to create smooth, coordinated movements. What makes this design stand out is its ability to produce four phases of motion that work in perfect sync, which is crucial for efficient walking. Earlier designs could only create odd-numbered phases, leading to uneven movements that made the robot less stable and slower.
Yichen Zhai, a postdoctoral research in the UC San Diego Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, is the first author on the paper describing the robot. (CREDIT: David Baillot/University of California San Diego)
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The researchers figured out how to get the robot’s legs to work together smoothly using fluid circuits, which is a big step forward. Thanks to this, the robot can now do more complex movements than earlier models.
The design keeps three of the robot’s legs on the ground at all times, forming a stable tripod, while the other three legs lift and move forward. This back-and-forth movement keeps the robot steady, even on rough ground. In tests, it showed off its abilities by climbing an 18° slope on rocky terrain and even walking across water.
One-Shot Printing Process
The entire robot was fabricated in a single 58-hour printing process using a commercially available desktop 3D printer and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) material, a flexible plastic that allows for the creation of moving parts and air-tight seals. Once removed from the printer, the robot needed no additional assembly or processing before operation.
When connected to a CO2 cartridge with a pressure regulator, the robot achieved a walking speed of 4 centimeters per second (about 0.19 body lengths per second). One 16-gram CO2 cartridge provided enough air pressure for about 80 seconds of continuous operation, allowing the robot to travel 85 centimeters.
This design could enable new applications in settings where electronic components would be impractical or dangerous, such as underwater environments, areas with high radiation, powerful magnetic fields, or locations with risk of spark ignition. Additionally, using a single material opens possibilities for creating fully recyclable or biodegradable robots.
Innovative Design Solutions
VIDEO AT LINK.....................
The researchers designed the robot using what they call “Eulerian toolpaths,” a printing technique that ensures airtight components by having the printer nozzle continuously trace through the entire pattern on each layer without lifting off the print surface. This technique proved crucial for creating the components that drive the robot’s movement.
The team also showed how this could be reproduced by having another researcher recreate the robot at a different location using a different 3D printer model. This test resulted in a similarly functional robot, confirming that the design could be reliably replicated using widely available equipment.
Right now, the robot needs an outside air source to work, but the researchers think future versions could have built-in systems to create their own air pressure. They also plan to add features like steering and arms, so the robot can do even more.
Looking Ahead: Democratizing Robotics This research allows the robot to make more complex, coordinated movements, like walking, rather than just crawling. This is something that previous soft robotics research has struggled to do.
The ability to print fully functional robots using easily available technology could make robotics more accessible to everyone. This could open up new possibilities in fields like education, disaster response, and environmental monitoring. With more improvements, we might one day be able to design and print custom robots for specific tasks, all with a 3D printer.
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PING!..............
The is Obi-Wan Kenobi, reporting from Kamino. back to you in the studio, Bob.
3D Printer Ping!.....................
This is how Sky-Net started......................
Compressed gas? Powered by Taco Bell!
That is just crazy. That guy’s a genius.😮
I, for one, welcome our new 3D printed overlords!
it’s all air. literally!
Jango Fett, please visit our facility at your earliest convenience...
i’d be more impressed if it weren’t so drunk
The company’s name isn’t Skynet is it!??
Just wait until the libs learn it’s only emission is CO2!
I guess we’re doomed when becomes self aware.
Meanwhile, John Smith and Mary Fancher are hustling mocha cafe grandes at Starbucks and hoping that bidenbucks will still come through to pay of their degrees in Leisure Studies and Gender Studies, respectively.
Have they got a Robot that can do dishes after dinner YET? When they do, I’ll be impressed.
Ok. But what can it do besides walk? Sheesh. I can’t see it cleaning my house. (But then, neither can a robot vacuum -— too much clutter).
I thought this was invented by a black woman.
Lol.
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