Integrated Electronic Circuitry for Soft Robots using Multi-Material FDM Printing

The integration of electronics into compliant materials is typically complex, cumbersome, and jeopardizes system-level compliance. Using multi-material fused deposition modeling, we introduce a framework in which components of a soft robot and conductive traces are deposited in a single print. Our novel procedure for attaching discrete electronic components to printed conductive traces using toluene solvent ensures reliable electrical connections by significantly reducing contact resistance by over an order of magnitude compared to existing methods. This fabrication pipeline is an additional key component that contributes to the broader objective of establishing a fully automated fabrication process for soft robots with integrated electronics. We demonstrate a complete assembly of a terrestrial soft robot and showcase its resilience against physical impacts.