The field of self-healing soft robots was initiated a few years ago. A healing ability can be integrated in soft robots by manufacturing their soft membranes out of synthetic self-healing polymers, more specifically elastomeric Diels–Alder (DA) networks. As such they can recover completely from macroscopic damage, including scratches, cuts, and ruptures. Before this research, these robots were manufactured using a technique named “shaping-through-folding-and-self-healing.” This technique requires extensive manual labor, is relatively slow, and does not allow for complex shapes. In this article, an additive manufacturing methodology, fused filament fabrication, is developed for the thermoreversible DA polymers, and the approach is validated on a soft robotic gripper. The reversibility of their network permits manufacturing these flexible self-healing polymers through reactive printing into the complex shapes required in soft robotics. The degree of freedom in the design of soft robotics that this new manufacturing technique offers is illustrated through the construction of adaptive DHAS gripper fingers, based on the design by FESTO. Being constructed out of self-healing soft flexible polymer, the fingers can recover entirely from large cuts, tears, and punctures. This is highlighted through various damage–heal cycles.

中文翻译：

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自愈软机器人的增材制造

自愈软机器人领域始于几年前。通过使用合成的自修复聚合物，更具体地说是弹性体 Diels-Alder (DA) 网络制造软膜，可以将修复能力集成到软机器人中。因此，它们可以完全从宏观损伤中恢复，包括划痕、割伤和破裂。在这项研究之前，这些机器人是使用一种名为“通过折叠和自我修复成型”的技术制造的。这种技术需要大量的手工劳动，相对较慢，并且不允许复杂的形状。在本文中，为热可逆 DA 聚合物开发了一种增材制造方法，即熔丝制造，并在软机器人夹具上验证了该方法。他们的网络的可逆性允许通过反应性印刷将这些灵活的自愈聚合物制造成软机器人所需的复杂形状。这种新制造技术提供的软机器人设计的自由度通过基于 FESTO 设计的自适应 DHAS 夹爪的构造来说明。由自我修复的柔软柔性聚合物制成，手指可以完全从大切口、撕裂和刺伤中恢复。这通过各种损伤 - 愈合周期突出显示。由自我修复的柔软柔性聚合物制成，手指可以完全从大切口、撕裂和刺伤中恢复。这通过各种损伤 - 愈合周期突出显示。由自我修复的柔软柔性聚合物制成，手指可以完全从大切口、撕裂和刺伤中恢复。这通过各种损伤 - 愈合周期突出显示。