Soft Robotic Manta Ray

The booth will have a rubber manta ray (~2 ft. wingspan, ~1 ft. length) sitting on the table in a mostly assembled state. It will have one wing fully enclosed and operating on a loop to show functionality, and the other wing will be open to show the internal muscles and structure of the wing. The electronics and pumps of the system will be visible to passing visitors. The robot will be connected to a small reservoir of water, such as a small bucket of water, underneath the table with a length of tubing to run the muscles. We will have a monitor running on the side of the table with a video of the manta ray functioning in the RIT pools, as well as a slideshow documenting some of the overall process. Exhibitors will be behind the booth to explain the subsystems, design, and purpose of various parts of the project. Several parts and manufacturing aids will be on the table for demonstration as space allows, so they can be handed to visitors to examine hands-on. For general safety and cleanliness, we will have several towels on hand in case of water leaks.

Displacement plot of wing structure

Displacement plot of wing structure; distorted