In a recent YouTube video, a maker called Tazer Technical has shown us how he has built his own Soft Robotic Gripper by overcoming challenges in material selection by irritative prototyping. In his earlier attempted he build a single finger robotic gripper using silicone with a Shore hardness of 25A which was too rigid, leasing to adoption of a softer silicone (10A) combined with a refined mold design. In his new functioning design, he has reduced the rib count, thinned the walls and added air vents to eliminate trapped air. These improvements seem to have enhanced the grippers flexibility and durability.
To further improve performance, a porous fabric layer was embedded in the silicone during molding, reinforcing the structure and minimizing air leakage. This adjustment, along with cleaning techniques for 3D-printed molds, significantly improved the prototype’s bending range and gripping efficiency. The latest version demonstrated over 90 degrees of bending and performed its first successful object grip, despite minor air leaks.
The project’s next phase involves integrating the gripper into a robotic arm with four degrees of freedom. Its interesting to see how the maker takes us through his journey of mistakes and improvements to attain the desired result of building a soft robotic gripper at home using a 3D printer and Silicone.
