A team from Harvard University’s John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) has developed a novel rotational multimaterial 3D printing method that creates soft robots with built-in, predictable shape-morphing abilities. Led by Professor Jennifer Lewis, the technique programs intricate hollow channels within flexible filaments, allowing devices to bend and grip with air pressure, and bypasses the cumbersome molds traditionally required for soft robotics.
Imagine a surgical tool that can gently navigate delicate tissue or a gripper that can handle fragile objects without a single rigid part. The field of soft robotics promises this future, but constructing precisely controlled robots from flexible materials has remained a complex, hands-on craft. What if you could simply print a robot with its movement patterns encoded into its very structure? Researchers at Harvard University have done just that, turning a manufacturing challenge into a programmable design feat.
The breakthrough, detailed in the journal Advanced Materials, centers on a clever fabrication technique. About the product is clear: it solves the problem of cumbersome and inflexible fabrication in soft robotics, offering a direct path from digital design to functional, air-powered device. The work was spearheaded by graduate student Jackson Wilt and former postdoctoral researcher Natalie Larson in the lab of Jennifer Lewis, the Hansjorg Wyss Professor of Biologically Inspired Engineering at SEAS.
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So, what does it actually do? The basic function is both ingenious and practical. The printer uses a single, rotating nozzle to simultaneously extrude two different materials: a durable polyurethane shell and a temporary, water-soluble inner core made from a hair-gel-like polymer called a poloxamer. By meticulously controlling the printer’s rotation speed and material flow, the team can program the exact path and orientation of the inner material within the strand. Once printed, the core is simply washed away, leaving a flawless hollow channel inside a sturdy, flexible tube. When air is pumped in, these programmed channels cause the entire structure to bend, twist, or grip in a pre-determined manner.
“We use two materials from a single outlet, which can be rotated to program the direction the robot bends when inflated,” explained Jackson Wilt, highlighting the core innovation. “Our goals are aligned with creating soft, bio-inspired robots for various applications.” This rotational multimaterial 3D printing method, pioneered in the Lewis Lab, is the engine behind the advance. It allows for the creation of complex structures—from flat meshes to raised spirals—in one continuous print, something impossible with traditional mold-based techniques.
The innovator and engineer dynamic here is key. Professor Jennifer Lewis and her team provided the foundational printing technology and vision. Jackson Wilt and Natalie Larson (now an assistant professor at Stanford University) were the driving forces in adapting and applying it to soft robotic actuation, demonstrating the power of collaborative, graduate-led research. According to the team, this work was supported by federal grants from the National Science Foundation and the Army Research Office.
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They showcased the potential by printing a delicate, continuous flower pattern and a functional five-fingered gripper with bending knuckles—all without assembly. The summary of its value is significant: it transitions soft robot fabrication from a slow, artisanal process to a rapid, digital, and highly customizable one. This opens doors for bespoke assistive wearables, minimally invasive surgical tools, and adaptable industrial grippers.
However, every new technology has its horizon. A current limitation lies in scaling the speed and size of production for widespread industrial adoption, moving from laboratory-scale demonstrations to robust, repeatable manufacturing. The journey from a brilliant proof-of-concept to a product on a factory floor is the next engineering hurdle the team acknowledges.
“In this work, we don’t have a mold. We print the structures, we program them rapidly, and we’re able to quickly customize actuation,” Wilt stated, underscoring the paradigm shift. This approach isn’t just an incremental improvement; it’s a rethinking of how soft robots are born. By fusing design and function at the printing stage, Harvard University researchers are ensuring the future of robotics is not only soft and safe but also intelligently and efficiently made.
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