05 Robotics · UW
Directional Buckling for In-Pipe Locomotion
2022
Lede
Soft robotics work. Designed a compliant leg that buckles in a known direction so a small robot can walk through narrow pipes.
Detail
Lab project on soft robotics. The leg is intentionally compliant — when it's loaded, it buckles, but the geometry biases the buckling direction so the foot rotates predictably. FEA in ABAQUS to design the shape, then a lot of silicone casting to test it. Worked surprisingly well in straight pipes; less well in elbows.
Stack
- ABAQUS
- Silicone elastomer
- 3D printing