Many YouTubers are talking heads with a keyed-up, almost manic, enthusiasm.In 3D printing, some give useful reviews.We’re also getting people who are showcasing very good 3D printing advice.
And some people are designing and making innovative things a reality with 3D printing.But still… nothing prepared me for soiboi soft.Months ago, I saw a video explaining how to use additive and other techniques to make a soft robot snake.
Microfluidic Salamander Bot.Image courtesy of soiboi soft.Robot snakes have been around for a bit.
I can remember that a Stratasys reseller did one over a decade ago.There are lots of soft robotics 3D printed robot snakes as well.They often use 3D printed molds, 3D printed elastomeric parts, and conventional techniques.
But soft robotics is a perennial lab experiment looking for an application.And a YouTuber showing off a good video on how to do soft robotics creations could very well aid us.What if lots of people turned to soft robotics for solutions? It would be great if someone explained how to combine soft robotics with 3D printing to create effective devices.
The videos were also realistic, well-made, and inspiring.They racked up less than 10,000 views.But who knew, this could be a fun ride.
Later, a video explained that soiboi soft would be looking to microfluidics to make its soft robots more functional.He wanted to create a “nervous system” to allow his robots to be “unethered.” He aimed to make untethered robots with power and control.He was also interested in using microfluidics and soft robotics to make logic gates.
OK, so at this point, I was hooked.I mean, I really believe in the power of microfluidics, and the combination with soft robotics was proving to be promising in research.But was I really going to be able to passively watch as a YouTuber did cutting-edge integrations of microfluidics and soft robotics online? Yes, and you can too.
The next video made a bioinspired salamander-like microfluidics bot.And not only was the video inspirational, but it also explained the philosophy behind what he was doing.He looked into making a series of diaphragm pumps into a salamander-like robot.
A nervous system for squishy robots.Image courtesy of soiboi soft.He then also explained how he wants to make air like PCBs.
Microfluidic circuit boards were shown with a “brain.” Furthermore, he showcases an ant-like walking pattern.Next, he made “microchips,” or an air-powered nervous system for his robots.And he used the soft, muscular air-powered logic circuit as the core of this assembly.
The central microfluidic unit is printed while the silicone parts are molded.Here, he uses a vacuum to “turn off and on the circuit” in a transistor.He then built an air-powered walking logic board.
He then showed off multiplexing, in which his 3D printed logic circuits power a matrix that lets him make a display.When a solenoid changes, a vacuum is created, creating a vacuum for that pixel.With multiplexing, he shows how 8 valves can replace 16.
As an aside, he shares how he gets beautiful translucent parts on a desktop machine with 100% infill, over extrusion, 105% flow, at 230°C, a 0.2mm nozzle, 15 mm/s print speed, and aligned rectilinear infill.He gets beautiful parts that he uses for his microfluidic boards.The parts are also more airtight.
And now soiboi soft has showcased a clock with a 3D printed vacuum microfluidic display.It’s beautiful, mesmerizing, and a huge leap forward in practical research as entertainment.If you are even a teeny bit interested in microfluidics or soft robotics, watch all these videos.
They are an amazing journey into some truly inspiring cutting-edge work on YouTube, of all places.Now with YouTube, soiboi soft can share his creations with the world.You could look at his attempts at making microfluidic “brains” and motion to see the future of numerous 3D printing applications that could become very relevant.
What’s more, soiboi soft is using desktop Bambu Lab printers to make all his parts.So perhaps you could do something so remarkably cutting-edge, too.What’s more, with his 3D printed microfluidic soft robotic clock, soi boi could have a real winning product on his hands.
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