؜Backround information

؜؜In the winter session one, I was in a soft robotics studio where we worked with an MIT lab. My project was a gamified climbing wall designed to be inclusive of people who are blind. After that studio, the lab we worked with at MIT liked the work I had done during the studio and wanted to co-author a paper.

؜Why is soft robotics cool?

Image of cool soft robot

Kaits enatglement robot

؜Soft robots are really cool because they are compliant, meaning they can form around and wrap around objects more gently than a rigid robotic actuator or mechanism. This means that you don't even need to know what shape or the orientation of the object you are picking up to be gentle. Because of this, they have a lot of potential in applications where there is a lot of human-to-robot interaction, like in health or physical therapy.

؜(Credit: Harvard Microrobotics Lab/Harvard SEAS)

add why soft robotics is good -- it can coform and cpy to objects -- they have a lto of potetial in health and humman-root interaction and handleing delicate objects

talk about soft robotic manufacturing as a growing feild and lacks a lot DFM knowlegde of soft robotic componetnts espeially actuators

LVC Casting and soft core casting

؜Two papers are the basis of this technique. A paper that was published about soft core molding. Where the core of a soft robotic actuator is made of a silicone material, and then that is cast inside a mold that shapes the exterior geometry of the actuator. Then the soft and flexiblecore can just be pulled out of the actuator with little resistance.

The other paper this project is building off of is based on this soft core molding technique. It introduces something called LVC. Instead of using silicone, it uses thin, low-volume cores (or LVC) made of thin plastic that are flexible enough to be pulled out of the actuator with little resistance. In addition, the low volume of the internal cavities makes it more efficient and more durable than the previous techniques

(Source: Yu, Advanced Functional Materials: Volume 34, Issue 46, 2024)

Overview of Ribbon-Core casting

؜Diagram of Ribbon casting

؜Ribbon casting is an innovation building off of LVC. Instead of using meticulously assembled polypropylene sheets, this method uses 3D printed cores that are designed to delaminate and unravel to allow for easier demolding of the actuator.

Benefits:

1. Low cost
2. More automated manufacturing process
3. The force required to demold it is not reliant on the length of the actuator
4. Reduced stress in the core when being demolded
5. Reduced stress concentration when the actuator is being inflated

؜Ribbon casting is a technique where the 3D printed part is designed and printed as one continuous extrusion that, when enough force is applied, will peel apart, allowing the core to be pulled out of the mold. Each fin peels after the one before, in sequence. This means even when printing an actuator with a huge amount of fins, the force does not scale with the number of fins like in LVC casting. In addition, because the manufacturing of the core is so automated, it can be mass produced at a very low cost and is more accessible to anyone with a hobbist 3D printer who wants to cast soft robotic actuators, sensors, etc.

Parameter characterization

Before even touching silicone, I needed to tune the distance between each side of the fin, such that when sufficient force is applied, it delaminates in the intended way.

The smaller the distance, the more force it takes, because more bonding occurs between each side.

reduce stress in the core and reduces stress concentration when the actuator is inflated

add what hte boding strength is based on -- the gap between the sides of the fin

First prototypes

؜diagram of prototype with an exsaple of what happend after force is applied

Instead of printing, casting, and fully testing a bunch of full actuators, I tested these tiny little test samples. They take about 15 or so minutes to print, which is convenient for rapid prototyping. I then tested different gap sizes by pulling them apart with pliers to see how they break.

In the future, I will do more testing in a more formal and rigorous way, but this is a great start and is good enough for me to start casting some actuators.

Two fin test

Photo of CAD

؜To confirm that the method worked as intended, I cast a test that had multiple fins to ensure that the fins delaminate one by one correctly. In theory, this shouldn't take much force to demold. Most of the resistance will come from delaminating the fin and then dragging the whole core through the opening.

Two fin cast

This test was inconclusive because the silicone was not high enough, and instead of fully encasing the core, the core was poking out. This means that if we were to test it, it would yield skewed, untrustworthy results.

؜Four fin test

؜Due to time constraints, I could not recast the first test. In fact, both tests were poured at the same time. The purpose of this test is to push the limits of this technique and get an idea of what it is capable of doing. This demonstrates how this method can produce actuators of longer lengths than the LVC technique

Four fin test

As you can see, this sequential test went well. The core delaminated in the intended way, and the core slipped out. Interestingly, the delamination only occurred on the first fin, then the force of the fins pushing on the silicone was equal to the force needed to delaminate the fins. Although after constantly applying pressure, the second fin delaminated partially. Then the last two fins and the partially delaminated second fin all bent and slipped out in the same way that the LVC cores demold.

Next steps

1. Start to rigorously characterize the delamination of the little test pieces
2. Do more casts in silicone
3. Determine the performance of the resulting actuators
4. Make demonstration prototypes that can show the strengths of this fabrication technique.

Thesis

We wanted to learn how computers work in a way that many others could follow, so we chose Minecraft, one of the most popular video games out there.

Thesis Statement Option 1

The Who,What,Why, and How of the project (delete this)

Precedents

A few powerful minecraft computers have been created before, like this one by mattbatwings.

The Digi-comp was a fully-functioning computer sold in kit form.

Prototypes/ Iterations

Four-bit full adder

Four-bit half adder

1 bit of resettable ram

Flowchart of how the pong game works

Technical Diagrams

Processing unit >

Computer >

< Input Lock

< Screen

Final Photo

Final photo of project (delete this)

Final Photo

Final photo of project (delete this)

Final Video

Final photo of project (delete this)

Alternate pong game prototype

Project Statement

؜goal is to create realtime 3d sketching experience for students to communicate their ideas better.

Why

We hope to help artists and folks newly art to communicate and share their ideas quickly and in a novel, fun way.؜

Communicating art uniquely is important because the poeple do art digitaly nowadays and users are willing to implement or are already using the product components as evidence of viablility. People need to not have perspective distortion and this will limit distortion to y axis or height of persons head not also the front back side to side as much.

Precedents

Conceptual, technical, and visual

Conceptual Precedent: media lab project

Name: sand box

Creator: MIT media lab

Technical Precedent

Name: fiber optics

Creator: Narinder Singh Kapany

Visual Precedent: interactive projection

Name: Terrarium

Creator: theo watson

Our project was exploring 3D holograms of online pixel art. We're exploring wearables, product design and pixel art that can demonstrate it's functionality.

https://www.media.mit.edu/projects/relief/overview/

؜Mood board

Sketches

suction cup

octopus sucker

inspired?

Sketches

Prototype

؜Peppers ghost illusion was used.

Iteration I (what changed & why you changed it, and what you learned )

Iteration II

؜In this iteration we changed

the plastic pyramid to be larger aprrox 3 inches or size of phone screen

؜Some photos I found from the web.

Pixel art website

؜2D pixel art

؜3D pixel art

Next Steps

make 3D pixel art

get suggestions on engineering

Project Statement

We aim to develop a low-cost, easily customizable remote-controlled car that helps introduce public school students to electronics and CAD design through hands-on learning.

Precedents

Conceptual, technical, and visual

Conceptual Precedent

Name: Bingo RC Drift Car Kit

Creator: Adrenaline RC Racing

Technical Precedent

Name: gyro

Creator: god

Visual Precedent

Name: truck

Creator: traxxas

Schematic Diagram of Drive System

؜Chassis Prototype

؜This was a test of a solid rear axle with suspension

We also took Enzo's RC car from home and made the wheels more slick to make it able to drift.

؜Electronic Prototype

؜Electronic Prototype (Iteration 2)

؜This next iteration is a design by TheDIYGuy999. It uses a Arduino, Hw-123, potentiometer and a servo. The potentiometer controls how strong the steering assist is.

Steering Prototype

This is a prototype of the Akerman steering commonly used in RC cars and regular cars

Steering/Chassis/Electronics Prototype

A 3d printed version, with a servo for steering and a broken h-bridge circuit for motor control

Education Kit

About RC Drift Cars:

1. Introduction
2. History
3. Precedents
4. Lesson Plan

Electronic Kit:

1. Arduino Uno
2. MPU 6050
3. Servo
4. Breadboard
5. Jumper Wire
6. Batteries

Mechanical Kit:

1. 3d Printed chasis
2. Guide to put things together

1) Get a moving prototype by fixing the h-bridge

2) Make it look nicer

3) Add the gyro

4) Create instructions and make it a buildable kit

Next Steps

Thank You!

Project Statement

A project aiming to create a guide to make self-sufficient community living spaces in rural areas. We will use a plot of land we've found in Vermont as a case study, but the final deliverable will be an extensible set of instructions and floor-plans to inspire people to make a space to start a community. This is not an exact plan, but a guide to inspire people and give them a floor to start from, not a ceiling to end at.

؜sustainable housing community for self-sufficiency

mention specific property

build customized to needs

Why

؜The cost of living is very high which makes finding and sustaining a place to live alone difficult. This project aims to offer a long-term solution for groups of 15-20 people. The offered solution is living off the grid in a separate community, becoming self-sufficient by growing food, farming, making clothing, and generating electricity. This is intended for anyone who is struggling under the current system and wants to live outside of it, as much as that can be done.

Physical Precedents

Conceptual, technical, and visual

Conceptual Precedent

Name: N Street Cohousing

Creator: Kevin Wolf and Linda Cloud

Technical Precedent

Name: Forrest farm

Creator: Scott and Hellen Nearing

Visual Precedent

Name: Big lodges

Philisophical Precedents

Conceptual, technical, and visual

Conceptual Precedent

Name: Living the Good Life

Creator: Scott and Hellen Nearing

Technical Precedent

Name: Forrest farm

Creator: Scott and Hellen Nearing

Visual Precedent

Name: Frank Lloyd Wright

Creator: William Russell Cary Wright and Anna Lloyd Jones

Site Analysis

؜(as you can tell my cat decided it looked very tasty, definitely not foreshadowing for why I didn't finish the project)

This is after one day of working on the 3d model of what a room would look like in the sustainable housing. I was going for a dorm-like look, with a loft bed to conserve space and room for extra furniture.

DAY 1

؜What Vexx did during the project

؜For this day I added a bed, some furniture, and some wall decorations to make it more realistic. I plan to add a separate bathroom as well as a window for sunlight.

DAY 2

Unfortunately this was my last documented version, since on the day of the project I woke up to my cats eating it.

(I didn't end up doing more for this project due to some issues going on at home. It's mostly sorted now, but it did decrease my productivity during this project.

1. Needs to comfortably house 15-20 people

1. Needs to generate its own power

1. Needs to be able to purify water from either a well or a stream/brook

1. Needs to be able to grow food

1. Needs to have an area to repair/create objects

1. Needs to have private spaces and public spaces/common spaces

Needs to comfortably house 15-20 people

Having a large common space for socializing is important but having private spaces to decompress is equally important

The spaces needed for this:

1. A large kitchen to prep large amounts of food
2. A social space with a lot of comfortable seating in a conversational arrangement

Needs to generate its own power & Needs to be able to purify water from either a well or a stream/brook

A large part of self sustainability is supplying power. Solar panels are an easy solution for this as they can provide shade and generate power. Water is a human necessity

The spaces needed for this:

1. A utility room with a battery wall and a charge controller
2. A water purifier attached to a well

Needs to be able to grow food

Food is another human necessity and to grow food you need a farm

The spaces needed for this:

1. A vegetable garden
2. A chicken coup
3. Space for other livestock if wanted
4. A vegetable washing station & shed
5. A greenhouse attached to the building

Needs to have an area to repair/create objects

This is useful so we don't have to spend money getting stuff repaired

The spaces needed for this:

1. A room connected to the house with necessary tools, with audio isolation from the rest of the space so as not to disrupt others
2. An area for sewing/making clothes

Needs to have private spaces and public spaces/common spaces

؜Having privacy and time to be alone is very important and having time to be social is also important

The spaces needed for this:

1. Common areas such as a dining room, living room, and outdoor gardens
2. Median areas such as a kitchen, a library, and shop space
3. Private areas such as bedrooms, bathrooms, and desk/work rooms

Public space

1. Mudroom/entrance
2. Living room & social space
3. Dining room

Food spaces

1. Kitchen
2. Pantry

Outdoor spaces

1. Chicken coup
2. Greenhouse
3. Food Prep Station

Private spaces

1. Library
2. Work areas/offices
3. Shop & makerspace
4. Bedrooms
5. Bathrooms

؜Living room sketches

1)Continue plan design

2) Find appliances

3)Plan power and utility

Next Steps

Project Statement

This project investigates biomimicry-inspired honeycomb padding systems for performance apparel and protective gear, with a focus on modular textile integration and lightweight impact absorption. Using TPU printed hexagon structures bonded to mesh and sewn into muslin the system demonstrates how additive manufacturing can create protective geometries that function as part of the garment rather than an external add-on. The design draws from natural hexagonal honeycomb patterns structures optimized for strength and material efficiency to create padding that distributes impact forces while maintaining breathability and flexibility. By integrating the structure directly into textiles, the system aims to improve wearability, reduce bulk, and enable customizable protection for applications such as mountain biking and high-mobility athletics. This project is not just about creating padding; it explores the intersection of material science, industrial design, and biomimicry to reimagine how protective systems can be lightweight, adaptable, and textile-friendly.

Why

I pursued this project because traditional padding systems in sports and protective apparel often force trade-offs between protection and mobility. Foam-based solutions can be bulky, heat-retaining, and prone to permanent compression over time, reducing long-term performance. Rigid inserts offer impact resistance but limit flexibility and comfort. These limitations highlight an opportunity to rethink protective design through structural innovation rather than material thickness. Biomimicry provides a powerful design framework because natural systems solve complex engineering problems with elegant efficiency. Honeycomb geometries in nature achieve high strength-to-weight ratios and distribute forces effectively using minimal material. Translating this strategy into TPU hexagon structures allows for controlled deformation during impact absorbing energy where it matters while remaining lightweight and breathable. Additionally, integrating the hexagon into textiles addresses a persistent issue in protective apparel: compatibility with garments.This project explores how design and material innovation can meet that demand.

Precedents

Conceptual, technical, and visual

Conceptual Precedent

Name: Armadillo

Technical Precedent

Name: Biker Armor

Visual Precedent

Name: Scale armor

Sketches

Sketches

Iteration I

the first iteration of a glove that would be attached to a jacket

Iteration II

inside view

Infill: 10%

Wall Thickness: 5mm and 10mm

Notes: More compact but still bendable, best iteration

Iteration I - TPU Printing

Iteration II - TPU Printing

Infill: 10%

Wall Thickness: 5mm and 10mm

Notes: Failed as it stuck to the bed of the printer

Iteration I - TPU Printing With Mesh Layer

Infill: 10%

Wall Thickness: 8mm and 16mm

Notes: Best combination for impact absorption and structure

Iteration II - TPU Printing With Mesh Layer

Infill: 10%

Wall Thickness: 3mm and 6mm

Notes: Thin but more bendable

Iteration III - TPU Print With Mesh Layer, Sewn To Fabric

Infill:15%

Wall Thickness: 3mm at smallest point and 6mm at thickest

Notes: Height too tall, need to decrease infill

1) find actual metrics to test them

2) make specific padding for certain body parts

3) sow it into a jacket

Next Steps

Project Statement

؜With students and theater staff making use of the facilities and not putting things back where they belong, the Nuvu shop is a hectic place. As a result, tools are disorganized, surfaces are cluttered, work is inefficient, and people are fed up. Our goal is to reorganize the shop to help fix these problems. If we succeed, the community will function more smoothly as a whole.

Why

؜We believe that keeping an organized shop will lead to a cleaner, more efficient workflow. It also promotes shop safety and accountability from the community to maintain organization. Additionally, keeping the shop tidy will prevent the necessity for multi-day cleaning processes.

Sketches

؜Main Entrance

؜Laser Cuter

؜Benches

؜Drill Press

Band Saw

Dust Collector

؜Computer

Sink

؜ Floating

Chop Saw

Precedents

Conceptual, technical, and visual

laser engraved tool outlines

MIT D-lab

labeled tool locations

laser ؜engraved tool locations

Hand Tool Organization

؜Tool Wall Survey

Iteration I

Iteration II

Sketches

Chisel Holder

Perfectly holds one:

8mm, 9mm, 16mm, and 19mm counter sink bit

Six step bits of various size

Slots into tool wall

Made using drill press and bandsaw

Counter Sink and Step Bit Holder

؜Made with laser cutter and cardboard for a prototype but will be made with plywood.

Stores metric and imperial allen keys

T-Handle Allen Keys

Notched tool holder for various rasps

؜Rasp Holder

1) Reposition power tools

2) Amend material storage

3) Fully mount tool wall

Next Steps

There are two different versions available to download, one is a science fiction setting and one is fantasy setting.

؜What is unique is that these are both played on the same server but are allow users to see the game differently.

game description

fantasy

؜sci-fi

what is the gameplay like?

؜SATSUM is a first person team shooter. Each team has a certain number of tickets at the start of the game. To win, you capture spe​cific points on the map, which causes tickets to bleed from the other team's ticket pool. If the other team runs out of tickets, they lose.

what is the game about?

shoot people with ✨magic✨ and ✨wonder✨

Each frontend has five classes, each with three subclasses. Each is paired with an equivalent in the other frontend.

For example, in Sufficiently Advanced Technology (Sci-Fi), Infantry correlates to Sufficiently Understood Magic's Monk (Fantasy).

class wheel

؜

why this game?

؜we want to provide a fun and replayable experience for players. We plan to compete with the likes of Call of Duty, Fortnite, and Untitled Goose Game. These games are games that are incredbily popular and known for they're fun replayability, along with being unique.

Precedents

Conceptual and visual precedents

Conceptual Precedent

Modrinth

Visual Precedent

Doom 1993

Visual Precedent 2

Ultrakill

؜2d pixelart

map textures for the game

؜map prototype

final map

game engine

؜We tried unity and unreal. We currently are using unreal but we want to make our own game engine in the future.

gameplay footage 1

gameplay footage 2

Project Statement

؜A material study using silicone cast pieces and 3d printed molds, to create a realistic puppet for a practical effect purposes. This will include a catalogue detailing the process and techniques used for future students.

Why

؜I am very passionate when it comes to practical effects and puppetry. While this project is motivated by my passion, its also motivated by wanting to make this process and these materials more approachable to the students at NuVu.

Precedents

Conceptual, technical, and visual

Conceptual Precedent

Name: The Rancor

Creator: Phil Tippet

Technical Precedent

Name: Teeper

Creator: Kreature Kid

Visual Precedent

Name: Grunt

Creator: Bungie

The Rancor from star wars is an excellent showcase of practical effects and puppetry, all of you should know it and seen it in action, its a great example for puppetry and casting.

Teeper is a puppet created by Adam Dougherty and Kreature Kid studio. They extensively detail their process. This precedent will help me with the actual fabrication aspect of the project.

؜ I mentioned the selection of a character before. The reason for this is that this OI about puppetry and casting not about character design an creation. I really enjoy halo, seemed like a fun character to re-create.

Sketches

؜Creating Negatives

Prototype

Iteration I (Larger, air escape, injected, )

؜Prototype 2 (Mold of body, use mold release, )

؜Process Breakdown

1) Paint the casts

2) Model an internal structure

3) Create arms

4) Add in more effects, teeth, eyes, etc.

Next Steps

؜Thank You