FlowIO Platform

We are organizing a workshop on soft robotics at the ACM CHI'22 Conference. This workshop will explore how to make soft robotics research, prototyping, and innovation more accessible to Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) researchers and designers. The goals are (a) to examine the various challenges faced when developing projects involving soft and programmable matter, (b) to explore what new tools and resources are needed to address those challenges, and (c) to identify the opportunities that exist to make the design, prototyping, and control of such projects easily accessible to researchers and non-researchers.

The workshop is titled “Actuated Materials and Soft Robotics Strategies for Human-Computer Interaction Design“ and can accommodate up to 30 participants virtually or in person. We invite submissions that demonstrate challenges and new opportunities related to the design, fabrication, implementation, or deployment of soft robotics for interaction design. Submissions can also be on any other topic related to the workshop goals. 

We will also be having FlowIO devices available to participants!!

The full call for participation with all relevant details can be found at https://www.softrobotics.io/chi22

The mobile versions of the tutorial pages were in really bad shape, and have now been fixed to read properly on a mobile device. If you find any other pages on the website whose mobile version needs improvement, let me know to take care of it.

I have now started developing another module for the FlowIO platform that would replace the AnalogIn16 module. This new design would also incorporate a Wheatstone bridge and a differential amplifier so that it is suitable even for measuring very small changes in resistance - which are typical for strain gauges.

I have now added a ChangeLog page to the website, where I will be posting the latest updates on the project. I will usually be updating this page at the end of each month to post all the updates that have happened during the past month. https://www.softrobotics.io/changelog

https://www.media.mit.edu/posts/flowio-wins-if-design-talent-award-2021/

https://ifworlddesignguide.com/collections/winner-collections/if-design-talent-award-2021-winners?#/pages/page/entry/336898-flowio

If you haven't seen it yet, take a look at this MIT News article just published this month (+ video) of project OmniFiber, in which we use FlowIO for the control system. 

https://news.mit.edu/2021/fibers-breath-regulating-1015

The latest CAD files for FlowIO have now been released and are available for download in the open-source 3MF file format! You can download the new files in chapter 2 of https://www.softrobotics.io/flowio

Here is one of the numerous articles about why 3MF is so great https://blog.prusaprinters.org/3mf-file-format-and-why-its-great_30986/

This latest update of the enclosure now features a notch that securely connects the main module to any of the pump modules. Previously, the only mechanical connection between modules was the magnetic connector and the tubes that run on the sides. And this was not not enough, especially not in the case of the large pump module. But with this change, we now have a very strong connection between modules that would hold them together no matter how you turn and twist the FlowIO device. 

This will be the last update to the CAD files, and there are no further updates intended on this front for the foreseeable future.

Two new chapters have been added to the Make FlowIO tutorials series. Specifically, the assembly instructions for the Small and the Large pump modules are now present as chapters 11 and 13, respectively. Find all tutorials at https://www.softrobotics.io/flowio

Several of the preexisting chapters have been augmented and updated as well, better pictures have been added. Each tutorial now also features at the top a full list of the parts and supplies needed to complete the steps within it.

The assembly instructions for the Medium Pump module have now been updated (https://www.softrobotics.io/flowio chapter 11) based on the latest enclosure designs. Notice that the battery is now placed underneath the pumps as opposed to behind them. Additionally, there is no longer a need to buy the Talon Ultra-Flex wire because I found an interesting way to make things work using the valve wires that we normally discard. Thus, it's a win-win situation because we can now save a couple of dollars per device while also reducing waste!

The redesigning of the enclosures is now complete and the new STL files are available for download on the project website https://www.softrobotics.io/flowio under chapter 2. The latest enclosures have been greatly improved on their visual aesthetics and functional characteristics compared to the previous version. 

• The base for each module was completely redesigned to make the attachment more secure. 
• The need for supports during 3D printing has been greatly reduced, making printing much easier and even saving some material that would normally go towards support structures. This also reduces the print time slightly.
• The bottom edges are now also filleted just like the top edges, which was previously not possible with the earlier design. This makes the device much more comfortable to use when being worn.
• The new enclosures are 0.75mm taller. 
• The battery for the medium pump module now goes below the pumps rather than behind them. This enables us to use the same kind of battery as the one used in the main module, thus reducing the number of unique parts. As a result, the medium pump module is now almost 7mm smaller in length, but now the entire device is 0.75mm taller - which was a great trade-off.
• The added height of FlowIO now allows for a 3D printed separator to be added in between the battery and the valves in the main module, which greatly increases the safety of the device by preventing heat from the valves to be directly absorbed by the battery. 
• Because of the dimensional changes, the new enclosures are not compatible with the old ones, so if you have a FlowIO device already and you want to upgrade to the latest version, you should 3D print all the parts. 

Updated the Arduino API documentation to reflect the recently-developed power management APIs for FlowIO https://www.softrobotics.io/arduino-api

During the past week, the enclosure design was greatly improved. The snap-fit joints have been completely reengineered and now the base covers for each module are held much more securely and firmly. There is almost no visible gaps now between the parts. And finally, with this new design, the bottom of the enclosure could now be filleted just like the top, making the device more pleasant to look at and more comfortable to wear. 

Some further improvements are now also being made to the enclosure design, and new STL files will be posted on the softrobotics.io website by the end of next week when everything is completed.