SDM Overview

• 2005 M. Hatanka's Ph.D. thesis on SDM with embedded flexible elements across material boundaries (17MB PDF)
• 2004 Slides (PDF) on "Parameterizing materials and manufacturing" for biomimetic structures -- from RiSE teleconference presentation by MarkCutkosky
• 2003 ASME Paper (PDF) on extending SDM to embed flexible materials (e.g. kevlar fibers) into 3D multi-material structures (e.g. for improved strength) by MotohideHatanaka
• 2002 IJRR paper (PDF) on use of SDM for bio-inspired legged robots
• 2000 ASME paper (PDF) on materials modeling of SDM parts for bio-inspired robots
• 1999 ASME paper (PDF( on SDM process planning for multi-material prototypes

SDM Process Tutorials

The following Twiki pages describe some of the current work on SDM:

• SDMProcessNotes contains useful information about the SDM process, including a tutorial and much more (urethane properties, end mills, etc...)
• SDMTutorialNotes -- our main tutorial
• Spine/Claw related work by MicheleLanzetta, not only SDM: SpineScale? , SpineMaterials, SpineFabrication (a PPT presentation with photos). Some photos and more explanations in SpineAxialCompliance, SpinedLegs, SpineTriplets, SqueezingOptions and SqueezingPrototypes
• PressureSensing describes MiguelPiedrahita'a work with creating sealed chambers using SDM, for use in foot pressure sensing.
• FootFab describes some of the manufacturing processes used to develop feet for the RiSE robot.
• In-situ mechanism analysis -- Rajagopalan and Cutkosky 2003 ASME transactions paper on statistical analysis for mechanisms created via SDM and other layered manufacturing processes.
• SDMsensorFab describes MotohideHatanaka 's work on developing hair-like sensors.
• GripperFab describes MiguelPiedrahita 's work on building a gripping mechanism with integrated sensing.
• SDMgeckoFingers is about work to create highly compliant finger-like structures to which gecko setae could be mounted.
• CompliantMembranesInSDM is about work to create highly compliant fluid filled membrane integrated into an SDM part - on which Ron Fearing's synthestic gecko setae could be mounted. A prototype is described in SpineFabrication.
• Discussion topic: ParametricDesign 2-20-04 MarkCutkosky - A new page created to summarize ideas about parameterizing the design space biodynotic robots.

Links and examples

• StickyBot toes are among the most advanced examples of multi-material SDM parts with embedded fibers.
• SpinyBot and spined RisePlatform toes are another good example of multi-material SDM structures with tailored compliance properties in different directions.
• The exoskeletal finger built for the IFOS/NASA PhotonicRobots project is a good example of light-weight, hollow structure with embedded sensors
• Stanford Rapid Prototyping Lab -- the home of SDM at Stanford:
• The Biomimetics SDM pages (1999 ONR MURI) --
• MotohideHatanaka 's SDM pages: Moto's publications and presentations
• Docushare collection on Rapid Prototyping (papers, presentations).
• Useful Molding techniques and materials summary from Duke University.

-- MarkCutkosky - 29 May 2003, updated 29 July 2003

• partial pallet with 112 spinybot toes in process:
  

-- AlanAsbeck - 16 Jun 2008