Science in Three Dimensions
Inspiring the Next Generation of Scientists

Soft Robotics and 3D Printing Workshop

Seventh-graders Elizabeth Kudinova and Eloisa Salcedo, and sixth-grader Manasa Rajesh (left to right) collaborate to create a mold for their soft robotic gripper.

In summer 2016, twenty-four middle school girls in the Tech Savvy summer program gathered at Harvard to learn about 3D printing and soft robotics. In the morning, the girls learned about computer-aided drawing from Nicole Black, a graduate student in the research group of Jennifer Lewis. By lunchtime, they had designed their own 3D printed object, a customized luggage tag. In the afternoon, the girls worked with Colette Abah, a research fellow in the group of Conor Walsh, to fabricate soft robotic grippers.