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Main Authors: Chhetri, Krishamsu Subedi, Mayor, Aryan, Corbin, Elise, Walker, Logan, Rieffel, John
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.16803
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author Chhetri, Krishamsu Subedi
Mayor, Aryan
Corbin, Elise
Walker, Logan
Rieffel, John
author_facet Chhetri, Krishamsu Subedi
Mayor, Aryan
Corbin, Elise
Walker, Logan
Rieffel, John
contents Soft robotics leverages deformable materials to develop robots capable of navigating unstructured and dynamic environments. Silicone Voxel-Based Soft Robots (Silibots) are a type of pneumatically actuated soft robots that rely on the inflation and deflation of their voxels for shape-shifting behaviors. However, traditional pneumatic actuation methods (high pressure solenoids, medical diaphragm pumps, micro compressors, compressed fluid) pose significant challenges due to their limited efficacy, cost, complexity, or lack of precision. This work introduces a low cost and modular syringe pump system, constructed with off the shelf and 3D printed parts, designed to overcome these limitations. The syringe pump system also enhances actuation with the unique ability to pull a vacuum as well pump air into the soft robot. Furthermore, the syringe pump features modular hardware and customizable software, allowing for researchers to tailor the syringe pump to their requirements or operate multiple pumps simultaneously with unique pump parameters. This flexibility makes the syringe pump an accessible and scalable tool that paves the way for broader adoption of soft robotic technologies in research and education.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2603_16803
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Development of Low-Cost and Bidirectional Syringe Pumps for Soft Robotics Applications
Chhetri, Krishamsu Subedi
Mayor, Aryan
Corbin, Elise
Walker, Logan
Rieffel, John
Robotics
Soft robotics leverages deformable materials to develop robots capable of navigating unstructured and dynamic environments. Silicone Voxel-Based Soft Robots (Silibots) are a type of pneumatically actuated soft robots that rely on the inflation and deflation of their voxels for shape-shifting behaviors. However, traditional pneumatic actuation methods (high pressure solenoids, medical diaphragm pumps, micro compressors, compressed fluid) pose significant challenges due to their limited efficacy, cost, complexity, or lack of precision. This work introduces a low cost and modular syringe pump system, constructed with off the shelf and 3D printed parts, designed to overcome these limitations. The syringe pump system also enhances actuation with the unique ability to pull a vacuum as well pump air into the soft robot. Furthermore, the syringe pump features modular hardware and customizable software, allowing for researchers to tailor the syringe pump to their requirements or operate multiple pumps simultaneously with unique pump parameters. This flexibility makes the syringe pump an accessible and scalable tool that paves the way for broader adoption of soft robotic technologies in research and education.
title Development of Low-Cost and Bidirectional Syringe Pumps for Soft Robotics Applications
topic Robotics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.16803