3D-printed Actuators

Customizable Design

We offer customizable soft actuators that are directly 3D-printed with a type of thermoplastic elastomers using a low-cost 3D printer instead of the traditional silicone moulding method, which makes it easier and less costly to customize the finger design. The know-how printing parameters and settings developed by our team ensure that the actuator design can be optimized easily at low-cost.

Controllable Stiffness

In addition, we develop a hybrid actuator whereby a resilient metal/plastic strap is embedded in the actuator. When the metal strap is activated, it holds the finger in a bent position, turning it from soft to stiff. This allows the bending profile and the rigidity of the actuator to be adjusted by locking the sliding mechanism of the strip.