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Matter Assembly Computation Lab (MACLab), CU Boulder

Pneumatic Actuator Test Bench

A modular test bench built to characterize soft, 3D printed pneumatic actuators, part of MACLab's broader work automating the manufacturing of robotic systems.

TimeframeMay 2022 – May 2025
RoleResearch Assistant
ToolsMATLAB, TPU 3D printing, circuit design
Output2 papers in progress

Overview

MACLab's broader goal is automating the manufacturing of robotic systems, which touches design automation, multi-material simulation, fabrication automation, and material development. My part of that was building and instrumenting a test bench for soft pneumatic actuators, and using it to support proprioceptive actuator research.

What I built

  • Sensor integration. Manufactured new test bench components, including flow rate and resistance sensors, to bring pneumatic actuator testing into a single modular interface.
  • Analysis pipeline. Wrote a MATLAB program that processed input from pressure gauges, load cells, and other sensors to qualify an actuator's attributes and abilities.
  • Multi-material 3D printing. Worked with a range of TPU filaments to print soft pneumatic actuators capable of performing specific tasks.
  • Circuitry. Held primary responsibility for circuit diagrams for new test bench components, including hands-on soldering.

Publications

Co-author on a paper covering proprioceptive actuator design, and primary author on a test bench characterization paper.