INNOVATION Sept-Oct 2019

F E A T U R E

“We’d been working on creating 3-D-printed micro- trusses and struts in combinations of deformable cellular structures that are architecturally strong but also light,” says Kim. (Deformable means, in essence, that the structures can be reshaped.) “One of Manpreet’s important contributions was to bring a truss body to a robot body.” Employing the truss structure gave the gripper’s human-like fingers enough control to be gentle when necessary, which has tremendous promise not only for building much more life-like and useful prosthetic hands for amputees, but also for eventually creating robot personal assistants that humans will actually like to have around the house. “Soft robots are not a new thing,” says Kaur, “but most up to now have been made out of materials like silicone rubber, which can easily get punctured or may simply be too soft to carry a load. The inspiration for us was the human bone. Our bones are hollow and lightweight, but strong. The truss structure provides mechanical

Woo Soo Kim believes that the applications for this type of 3-D printed sensing hand, capable of taking chemical and temperature readings, could extend to agriculture, mining, and health care. P hoto : K ent K allberg

stability. The 3-D printing—which is an easy and efficient way to fabricate robot bodies, easier than moulds—allows us to adjust the rigidity of the polymers in targeted spots to create fingers that bend in some places and are stiffer in others.” Most importantly, says Kim, “We made mechanical material into joints that are mechanically durable. They are able to bend and return reliably.” During the printing process, Kaur also embedded a number of electronic sensors—also 3-D printed—that give the robotic fingers the ability to detect and adjust to pressure, “much like our fingers do when we shake hands with someone else.” The flexible polymer material that allows the fingers to bend also protects the electronic components from potentially harmful shock and vibration. “Manpreet’s work in creating a touch-sensing robot was a milestone,” says Woo Soo Kim. “Now, we are working on taking sensing robotics to the next level. We’d like to realize spontaneous sensing robots that can detect ions and chemicals in the environment.” A robot able to, in essence, “smell” through the tips of its fingers would, he says, be of great benefit in dangerous settings, like mines, or remote areas where it would be dangerous for people to go. A sensing robot could also be used in the agricultural industry, to test soil moisture and nutrient levels. “This kind of robot doesn’t need to

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