This idea should inspire hobbyists everywhere. Even if you’re not the best of programmers, it’s still possible to be part of the growing revolution in 3D printing. If you’ve been wondering what your uncle has been up to in his garden shed, it might just be that he’s been inventing a robot.

The inspired Harvard scientists have invented a Soft Robotics Toolkit. A “soft” robot is based on biological systems, so that soft flexible materials form the basis of the manufactured structures. Intelligence can be embedded into elastomeric components. This also raises all sorts of possibilities in the world of medicine.

As the software is open-source, it is available to everyone with a desire to be an inventor. Harvard scientists, Walsh and Holland have downloadable, instructional, step-by-step videos to show the general public how to make soft robots. These include such items as a prosthetic hand, pneumatic gloves and even a cardiac stimulator amongst others. Projected costs and testing data are also given, to prevent even the most ambitious projects from seeming intimidating.

The researchers hope that the resulting creations from hobbyists and students will be shared amongst the 3D printing community, so accelerating the soft robotics field even further.

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