BYOE: Soft Robotic Fish Project

Matthew Longstreth; Vincent Sambucci; Alex Thomas Siniscalco; Smitesh Bakrania; Mitja Trkov; Cassandra Sue Ellen Jamison; Wei Xue

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Conference: 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Portland, Oregon
Publication Date: June 23, 2024
Start Date: June 23, 2024
End Date: June 26, 2024
Conference Session: ELOS Technical Session 6: Bring Your Own Experiment!
Tagged Division: Experimentation and Laboratory-Oriented Studies Division (DELOS)
Page Count: 15
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--48437
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/48437
Download Count: 82

Dr. Smitesh Bakrania is an associate professor in Mechanical Engineering at Rowan University. He received his Ph.D. from University of Michigan in 2008 and his B.S. from Union College in 2003. His research interests include combustion synthesis of nanoparticles and combustion catalysis using nanopar- ticles. He is also involved in developing educational apps for instructional and research purposes.

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Mitja Trkov Rowan University orcid.org/0000-0001-8556-7214

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Dr. Mitja Trkov is an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Rowan University, NJ. His research interests include soft robotics, human-machine interactions, wearable system, ergonomics, and biomechanics. He received his Ph.D. degree in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Rutgers University, New Brunswick in 2016 and his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia in 2007. Before joining Rowan, he was a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, UT.

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Cassandra Sue Ellen Jamison Rowan University orcid.org/0000-0002-0253-1636

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Cassandra (Cassie) Jamison is an Assistant Professor in the Experiential Engineering Education Department at Rowan University (Glassboro, NJ). Her research interests focus on understanding and improving the learning that occurs in experiential, out-of-class activities for engineering students. Cassie previously received a B.A. in Engineering Sciences at Wartburg College (Waverly, IA) and her M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in BME from the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI).

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Wei Xue Rowan University orcid.org/0000-0001-6550-5366

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Dr. Wei Xue is currently an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Rowan University. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in electrical engineering from Shandong University, China, and his Ph.D. degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. His research focuses on functional materials, soft robotics, and engineering education.

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Abstract

This paper presents a college-level project to develop a simplified soft robotic fish with the end goal of creating an engaging toy for children. The project uses 3D-printed components and molded silicone to create a hydraulically actuated fish. The motivation for developing this project was to introduce students to soft robotics with an emphasis on learning the concepts of soft materials fabrication, 3D printing, hydraulics, buoyancy, and actuation and control. The proposed activity was created by undergraduate engineering students to be used as teaching materials for other undergraduate students and to expose them to soft robotic concepts. The project was developed based on the idea that the development of learning activities by students and for students might increase engagement and interest. Implementation can include hands-on laboratory exercises or small group learning activities. Students are tasked with producing a functional and enjoyable toy product for the target audience emphasizing practical applications of soft robotics. The fish toy is non-autonomous and powered externally through tubes and two hand pumps or syringes to generate a hydraulic pressure differential to move the tail and propel the fish toy. This design provides an opportunity for students to explore non-traditional materials and actuation methods. Instead of using typical rigid link mechanisms, this project uses soft materials for actuation, which brings a unique perspective to engineering. The project contains more than movement or locomotion by including various metrics of success. The metrics include reliability, durability, simplicity of assembly, and potential incorporation of extended features and experiences into classrooms. An example of this would be onboard actuation and control which will be discussed as an alternative. The project enables a comprehensive learning experience that exposes students to many different aspects of soft robotics, ideally allowing them to improve their knowledge retention. This paper presents comprehensive documentation of how the student-designed prototype was constructed and could be adapted for a classroom, an itemized list of requisite materials, and explores potential design permutations. It serves as a valuable reference for the potential integration of the project into the mechanical engineering curriculum at Rowan University through courses like Machine Design and Mechatronics, or at other institutions that offer similar courses.

Citation
Format

Longstreth, M., & Sambucci, V., & Siniscalco, A. T., & Bakrania, S., & Trkov, M., & Jamison, C. S. E., & Xue, W. (2024, June), BYOE: Soft Robotic Fish Project Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. 10.18260/1-2--48437

TY - CPAPER
AB - This paper presents a college-level project to develop a simplified soft robotic fish with the end goal of creating an engaging toy for children. The project uses 3D-printed components and molded silicone to create a hydraulically actuated fish. The motivation for developing this project was to introduce students to soft robotics with an emphasis on learning the concepts of soft materials fabrication, 3D printing, hydraulics, buoyancy, and actuation and control. The proposed activity was created by undergraduate engineering students to be used as teaching materials for other undergraduate students and to expose them to soft robotic concepts. The project was developed based on the idea that the development of learning activities by students and for students might increase engagement and interest. Implementation can include hands-on laboratory exercises or small group learning activities. Students are tasked with producing a functional and enjoyable toy product for the target audience emphasizing practical applications of soft robotics. The fish toy is non-autonomous and powered externally through tubes and two hand pumps or syringes to generate a hydraulic pressure differential to move the tail and propel the fish toy. This design provides an opportunity for students to explore non-traditional materials and actuation methods. Instead of using typical rigid link mechanisms, this project uses soft materials for actuation, which brings a unique perspective to engineering. The project contains more than movement or locomotion by including various metrics of success. The metrics include reliability, durability, simplicity of assembly, and potential incorporation of extended features and experiences into classrooms. An example of this would be onboard actuation and control which will be discussed as an alternative. The project enables a comprehensive learning experience that exposes students to many different aspects of soft robotics, ideally allowing them to improve their knowledge retention. This paper presents comprehensive documentation of how the student-designed prototype was constructed and could be adapted for a classroom, an itemized list of requisite materials, and explores potential design permutations. It serves as a valuable reference for the potential integration of the project into the mechanical engineering curriculum at Rowan University through courses like Machine Design and Mechatronics, or at other institutions that offer similar courses.
AU - Matthew Longstreth
AU - Vincent Sambucci
AU - Alex Thomas Siniscalco
AU - Smitesh Bakrania
AU - Mitja Trkov
AU - Cassandra Sue Ellen Jamison
AU - Wei Xue
CY - Portland, Oregon
DA - 2024/06/23
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - BYOE: Soft Robotic Fish Project
UR - https://peer.asee.org/48437
DO - 10.18260/1-2--48437
ER -