Arnav Wagh
Flxo is a thinking tool for soft-robotics exploration, consisting of modular interlocking plastic muscles which easily integrate with other robotics kits on the market.
Description
Contrary to conventional robotics which employ rigid materials and motors, pneumatically or hydraulically actuated soft-robots are squishy and highly adaptive to their surroundings. This makes them safe and ideal for collaborative work with humans and other organic life.
Soft-robotics is an exciting and emerging field with a radically different approach to robotics, combining biomimetics and unconventional materials. This field is still in its infancy and there is still a lot to be discovered and invented. There isn’t enough accessible literature and documentation on the subject and a large part of the exploration takes place in well-funded research labs. At present anyone who wants to tinker with soft robotics needs to go through the tedious process of design, fabrication and material sourcing.
Flxo is an effort to fill this gap by democratizing key concepts in soft robotics. Flxo consists of prefabricated modular components, entirely 3D printed on a conventional 3D printer, which interlock to create different mechanisms. Additionally, Flxo is also designed to be integrated with other robotics kits on the market for encouraging open exploration of soft robotics as part of STEM curriculum.
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