Researchers at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) present the first-ever technique for 3-D printing robots that involves printing solid and liquid materials at the same time.
The new method allows the team to automatically 3-D print dynamic robots in a single step, with no assembly required, using a commercially-available 3-D printer.
To demonstrate the concept, researchers 3-D printed a tiny six-legged robot that can crawl via 12 hydraulic pumps embedded within its body. They also 3-D printed robotic parts that can be used on existing platforms, such as a soft rubber hand for the Baxter research robot.
This 3-D hexapod robot moves via a single motor, which spins a crankshaft that pumps fluid to the robot’s legs. Besides the motor and battery, every component is printed in a single step with no assembly required.
