Sensible Robotics

When brainstorming mold container designs, I looked into three important qualities that would promise high grip performance: durability, quality and repeatability.

Inspired by latex gloves, sport racket grips and tire treads, I researched more into consistent, symmetrical patterns such that the point of contact with objects would generate a great amount of friction — not to mention that the increased surface area would due to friction result in greater adhesion. Hence, I took raised textures as an important criterion when designing the mold containers.

I also made the silicone mold using the mold container that I designed on Solidworks. Following the mold composition and using the vaccum chamber to prevent any void and create a testable mold, I successfully created multiple sets of silicone skins for official testing. For testing, I ideated a list of objects that contained similar characteristics to everyday objects that people use. For example, round objects with different materials would account for small sized balls, beads. Followed by the object list, I created a set of testing procedures to ensure repeatability and for Sensible Robotics to easily execute.

This project helped me hone my design, manufacturing and engineering skills. Attending weekly project meetings and receiving design feedback, I gained positive academic and professional skills.