Summary:
UCLA researchers in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering have created a fleet of robots capable of performing autonomous 3D printing with exceptional speed, resolution, and precision.
Background:
The 3D printing robot industry has witnessed exciting developments in recent years, with advancements in precision, speed, and versatility. As demand for customized and intricate structures increases across industries like aerospace, automotive, and construction, the evolution in 3D printing technology is expected to drive a growth surge in the market. However, despite these improvements, several challenges still need to be addressed to fully realize the potential of 3D printing robots. One obstacle is the limited printing area, which hinders the printing of large structures. Additionally, current 3D printing techniques only allow for simple-shaped structures, requiring custom robots for different shapes. Another challenge arises when 3D printing in space or other harsh environments, where unanticipated amount of vibration from all possible degrees of freedom can cause significant inaccuracies in the printed structure. Considering these challenges, there is an urgent need for innovative solutions to enhance 3D printing performance and enable better structures under demanding conditions.
Innovation:
Professor Jonathan Hopkins and his research team have developed a 3D printing robot that is capable of crawling on the structures it prints. The robot's feet use granular jamming pads to adhere to any shape that is printed, allowing it to move along and stabilize itself during the printing process. Multiple robots, each with a specialized ink deposit, could be deployed to collectively print entire buildings or structures in space or other challenging environments, similar to the way spiders spin webs. The robot's legs serve multiple purposes, including stabilizing, propelling, and positioning the deposition nozzle during printing. The most notable feature of the robot is its flexure bearing design. The robot's flexure bearings are driven by high-speed linear actuators and allow the deposition nozzle to be actuated with 5 degrees of freedom, including tip, tilt, x, y, and z. The surface being printed is constantly monitored by multiple sensors to ensure high precision. The robot's fine-positioning control can self-correct for unexpected vibrations and disturbances, and closed-loop control is used to produce high-quality structures. Overall, this innovative 3D printing robot has the potential to revolutionize the construction industry by enabling the creation of complex, delicate structures with high precision and speed.
Demonstration Video:
Compliant 6-Degree-of-Freedom Precision Motion Stage: The Hexblade Positioner
Related Inovation:
High-Speed Large-Range Flexure-Based 6-Axis Stage.
Potential Applications:
- High-resolution 3D printing
- Unmanned drones with 360° high-speed cameras or scanning devices
- Robotics or any teleoperation systems
Advantages:
- Automated and fast 3D printing process in large scale
- High precision and resolution for exotic configurations
- Functional in space and other challenging environments
- Closed-loop control system
Development to Date:
First description of complete invention (oral or written): 04/26/19.
Related Papers:
Yang, Zhidi, Ryan Lee, and Jonathan B. Hopkins. "Hexblade positioner: A fast large-range six-axis motion stage." Precision Engineering 76 (2022): 199-207
Reference:
UCLA Case No. 2019-957
Lead Inventor:
Prof. Jonathan Hopkins; Prof. Robert Candler; Prof. Hossein Kavehpour.