Tue Jan 17, 2023, 12:00PM to 1:50PM
Welcome! We will post a daily agenda page for each class; these will be your essential guide to the progress of the class.
Introductions
- Your instructors, Olivia and Garth.
- Brief synopsis of the course objectives, topical themes for Spring 2023.
- Mutual introductions.
- Slideshow
- Syllabus and website
- Any questions?
Administrative
- Laser cutter access for Spring 2023.
- Lab access (A4, A5, A31).
- Computing needs.
- Please answer the brief course survey if you haven’t already.
- Please take a few moments to fill out the Office Hours Poll.
Heat Sealing Tools & Techniques
Today we will introduce the use of the impulse sealer to construct pneumatic actuators from polyethylene plastic sheets. You will be introduced to impulse sealers, plastic, heat-blocking stencils, tubing, and basic actuator design.
Examples
- Open Soft Machines
- Aeromorph (see the multiple tabs under “Aeromorph Collection”)
- Sticky Actuator (see the tabs under “Sticky Actuator Collection”)
- Origami Inspired Muscles (incorporated stiffening structures)
- Laser-cut examples (complex patterns)
- Soft Robotics Toolkit (related soft actuators)
Materials:
- Impulse sealer (three sizes)
- Kraft paper
- printed template (also as Solidworks Drawing)
- Scissors
- Sharpie
- Tape
- Blood pressure cuff hand bulb pump
- PVC tubing
Optional Materials:
- Parchment Paper
- Ruler
- Xacto knife and board (optional)
- double-stick tape
Overview:
- Impulse sealing
- Make a test weld with a small piece
- Adjusting the timing as necessary
- Blocking a weld with kraft paper
- Plastic
- Ways to cut the plastic
- Marking the plastic
- Heat Sealing
- Drawing on lines to see through parchment paper
- Folding over (or two layers of) parchment paper
Demos:
- Row of lines, squares and rectangles
- Two-Sided Balloon
- adding neck
- sealing
- Tubing to syringe
- Hinge
- Made from two-sided balloon
- Changing the location and size of center hinge shape
- Lift Muscle
- Curved Bending
- Others:
- Push-Up
- Multi-sided balloon
Assignment
- Read the syllabus all the way through.
- The first assignment is due before class next Tuesday. Please sign up for impulse sealer time on our Google Sheet to avoid crowding.
- The second assignment is a brief report on a related project from outside the class, including a brief in-class presentation and a blog post. We will have three students present at the start of class each day beginning next Tuesday. Please sign up for a slot using Precedent Research Presentation Sign-Up.