research-article

Computational design and fabrication of soft pneumatic objects with desired deformations

Authors:

Xin TongAuthors Info & Claims

ACM Transactions on Graphics (TOG), Volume 36, Issue 6

Article No.: 239, Pages 1 - 12

https://doi.org/10.1145/3130800.3130850

Published: 20 November 2017 Publication History

Abstract

We present an end-to-end solution for design and fabrication of soft pneumatic objects with desired deformations. Given a 3D object with its rest and deformed target shapes, our method automatically optimizes the chamber structure and material distribution inside the object volume so that the fabricated object can deform to all the target deformed poses with controlled air injection. To this end, our method models the object volume with a set of chambers separated by material shells. Each chamber has individual channels connected to the object surface and thus can be separately controlled with a pneumatic system, while the shell is comprised of base material with an embedded frame structure. A two-step algorithm is developed to compute the geometric layout of the chambers and frame structure as well as the material properties of the frame structure from the input. The design results can be fabricated with 3D printing and deformed by a controlled pneumatic system. We validate and demonstrate the efficacy of our method with soft pneumatic objects that have different shapes and deformation behaviors.

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Cited By

Jin LZhai XXue WZhang KJiang JBodaghi MLiao W(2025)Finite element analysis, machine learning, and digital twins for soft robots: state-of-arts and perspectivesSmart Materials and Structures10.1088/1361-665X/adadcd34:3(033002)Online publication date: 4-Feb-2025
https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-665X/adadcd
Gjoka AKnoop EBächer MZorin DPanozzo D(2024)Soft Pneumatic Actuator Design using Differentiable SimulationACM SIGGRAPH 2024 Conference Papers10.1145/3641519.3657467(1-11)Online publication date: 13-Jul-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3641519.3657467
Xiao FWei ZWang HLi JZhu J(2024)Embedded 3D Printing of Silicone for Soft Actuator with Stiffness Gradient and Programmable Workspace2024 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS)10.1109/IROS58592.2024.10801545(10913-10918)Online publication date: 14-Oct-2024
https://doi.org/10.1109/IROS58592.2024.10801545
Show More Cited By

Index Terms

Computational design and fabrication of soft pneumatic objects with desired deformations
1. Computing methodologies
  1. Computer graphics
    1. Animation
      1. Physical simulation
    2. Shape modeling
      1. Mesh models
  2. Modeling and simulation
    1. Model development and analysis
      1. Modeling methodologies

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cover image ACM Transactions on Graphics

ACM Transactions on Graphics Volume 36, Issue 6

December 2017

973 pages

ISSN:0730-0301

EISSN:1557-7368

DOI:10.1145/3130800

Editor:
Kavita Bala

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Copyright © 2017 ACM.

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Publication History

Published: 20 November 2017

Published in TOG Volume 36, Issue 6

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Cited By

Jin LZhai XXue WZhang KJiang JBodaghi MLiao W(2025)Finite element analysis, machine learning, and digital twins for soft robots: state-of-arts and perspectivesSmart Materials and Structures10.1088/1361-665X/adadcd34:3(033002)Online publication date: 4-Feb-2025
https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-665X/adadcd
Gjoka AKnoop EBächer MZorin DPanozzo D(2024)Soft Pneumatic Actuator Design using Differentiable SimulationACM SIGGRAPH 2024 Conference Papers10.1145/3641519.3657467(1-11)Online publication date: 13-Jul-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3641519.3657467
Xiao FWei ZWang HLi JZhu J(2024)Embedded 3D Printing of Silicone for Soft Actuator with Stiffness Gradient and Programmable Workspace2024 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS)10.1109/IROS58592.2024.10801545(10913-10918)Online publication date: 14-Oct-2024
https://doi.org/10.1109/IROS58592.2024.10801545
Yin YCheng MLi ZGuan YSu M(2024)Bioinspired deformation computational design method for muscle-driven soft robots using MPMBioinspiration & Biomimetics10.1088/1748-3190/ad7081Online publication date: 16-Aug-2024
https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-3190/ad7081
Stroppa F(2024)Design optimizer for planar soft-growing robot manipulatorsEngineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence10.1016/j.engappai.2023.107693130(107693)Online publication date: Apr-2024
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engappai.2023.107693
Lu YWang YSong PWong HMok YLiu L(2024)Computational design of custom-fit PAP masksComputers and Graphics10.1016/j.cag.2024.103998122:COnline publication date: 1-Aug-2024
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Ligthart PVenter M(2023)A Hierarchical Design Framework for the Design of Soft RobotsMathematical and Computational Applications10.3390/mca2802004728:2(47)Online publication date: 21-Mar-2023
https://doi.org/10.3390/mca28020047
Yu TNiu MMi HLu Q(2023)MilliWare: Parametric Modeling and Simulation of Millifluidic Shape-changing InterfaceProceedings of the Eleventh International Symposium of Chinese CHI10.1145/3629606.3629654(461-467)Online publication date: 13-Nov-2023
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Su HLi XXue TJiang CAanjaneya M(2023)A Generalized Constitutive Model for Versatile MPM Simulation and Inverse Learning with Differentiable PhysicsProceedings of the ACM on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques10.1145/36069256:3(1-20)Online publication date: 24-Aug-2023
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Yan ZLee HHe LPeng H(2023)3D Printing Magnetophoretic DisplaysProceedings of the 36th Annual ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology10.1145/3586183.3606804(1-12)Online publication date: 29-Oct-2023
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