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Creative Soft Robotics - Spring 2025

Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh , United States
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Major
Animation | Industrial Design | Robotics Engineering
Area of study
Arts | Engineering
Course Language
English
About Program

Program Overview

Introduction to Creative Soft Robotics

The Creative Soft Robotics course is a seminar that explores the intersection of soft robotics and art. Students will read current academic literature on soft robotics and art, and then apply research techniques to create innovative soft kinetic sculptures. The course focuses on casting silicone rubber in 3D-printed molds with pneumatic or tendon-drive actuation.


Course Overview

This course is geared toward highly autonomous students who are willing to explore the frontier of research. It will be reading-heavy and involve immersion in the raw discourse of an emerging discipline. Students will practice techniques for evaluating journal articles and articulating foundational research questions. The course will also review and critique kinetic artworks made with soft materials, identifying cutting-edge techniques to inspire new artwork.


Course Contents

  • Daily Agenda Logbook
  • Syllabus: Creative Soft Robotics
  • Assignments
  • Guide to Library Resources
  • Bibliography of Soft Robotics (S25)
  • Bibliography of Soft Art (S25)
  • Related Work Videos
  • Non-Glossary
  • Hardware and Materials
  • Sample Code
  • Course Resources

Course Role and History

The Creative Soft Robotics course is part of the Integrative Design, Arts, and Technology (IDeATe) program at Carnegie Mellon University. It is a collaborative course elective for the IDeATe Soft Technologies and Physical Computing programs. The course utilizes the IDeATe fabrication and lab facilities in the lower level of Hunt Library.


Research Areas

The course explores various research areas, including:


  • High-pressure pneumatic actuation
  • Embedding conductive liquids for distributed sensing
  • Incorporating rigid armatures
  • Closed-chamber inflatables

Instructor Background

The instructor brings a wide variety of robotics and art experience to the course. Much of soft robotics is new to the instructor as well, so the course will involve navigating the literature together and collectively identifying realizable techniques.


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