Animatronic skin fabrication (mold).
A method for fabricating an artificial skin system such as skin for use with a robotics assembly. The method includes forming or accessing a digital three dimensional (3D) model of an object. The digital 3D model defines a topography of an exterior surface of the object. The method includes processing the 3D model to generate a 3D model of a core, including defining an exterior surface of the core with a topography that is an inverse copy of the topography of the exterior surface of the object. The method includes fabricating the core based on the core model, whereby the core has an exterior surface corresponding to the exterior surface of the core model. The core is used in dipping processes or injection molding processes to form a skin in which the exterior surface is formed of material that abutted the inverse topography of the exterior surface of the core.
BACKGROUND OF THE DESCRIPTION(1) 1. Field of the Description(2) The present description relates, in general, to creating realistic skin or skin systems for robots or for use with robotics or other applications in which skin or similar coverings are applied (e.g., robotics used to simulate movement of a human's or a character's face, hands, or the like). More particularly, the description is directed to an efficient (e.g., less time consuming and costly) and readily scalable method of fabricating skin systems (and skins formed using such methods) for applying over robotics, and the methods are suited for producing skins or skin systems with detailed and, often, fine exterior surface topologies and/or features.(3) 2. Relevant Background(4) Durable materials that are often also flexible and elastic such as plastics and rubbers are used in many applications to create coverings or skins that are applied over an internal physical support structure or skeleton. For example, skins or skin systems are used to create realistic models of humans, animals, and characters, and when combined with robotics, such models may accurately simulate live beings.(5) Robotics involves the design and use of robots such as to provide programmable actuators or drivers to perform tasks without human intervention, and there have been significant demands for robotic devices (or robots as these terms may be used interchangeably) that simulate humans, animals, and other living beings or characters. These rob
1. A method for fabricating an artificial skin system, comprising: from data storage, accessing a digital three dimensional (3D) model of an object, wherein the digital 3D model defines a topography of an exterior surface of the object; processing the digital 3D model to generate a 3D model of a core, wherein the processing comprises defining an exterior surface of the core with a topography that is an inverse copy of the topography of the exterior surface of the object; fabricating the core based on the 3D model of the core, whereby the core has an exterior surface corresponding to the exterior surface of the core in the 3D model; coating the exterior surface of the fabricated core with skin-forming material in liquid form; and after the skin-forming material has hardened, removing the hardened skin-forming material from the fabricated core including turning the hardened skin-forming material inside out to orient portions of the hardened skin-forming material abutting the exterior surface of the fabricated core to face outward to provide an exterior surface of an artificial skin free of seam lines.
4. A method for fabricating an artificial skin system, comprising: from data storage, accessing a digital three dimensional (3D) model of an object, wherein the digital 3D model defines a topography of an exterior surface of the object; processing the digital 3D model to generate a 3D model of a core, wherein the processing comprises defining an exterior surface of the core with a topography that is an inverse copy of the topography of the exterior surface of the object; fabricating the core based on the 3D model of the core, whereby the core has an exterior surface corresponding to the exterior surface of the core in the 3D model; fabricating an exterior mold assembly based on the 3D model of the core, wherein the exterior mold assembly is adapted to receive the fabricated core and position the exterior surface of the fabricated core at an offset distance or at two or more offset distances to define a cavity about the exterior surface of the fabricate core; positioning the fabricated core in the exterior mold assembly, assembling the exterior mold assembly, injecting skin-forming material in liquid form into the cavity; and after the skin-forming material has hardened, disassembling the exterior mold assembly and removing the hardened skin-forming material from the fabricated core including turning the hardened skin-forming material inside out to orient a portion of the hardened skin-forming material to face outward to provide an exterior surface of an artificial skin.
7. A method for fabricating an artificial skin system, comprising: processing a digital three dimensional (3D) model of an object to generate a 3D model of a core, wherein the digital 3D model defines a topography of an exterior surface of the object and wherein the processing comprises defining an exterior surface of the core with a topography that is an inverse copy of the topography of the exterior surface of the object; fabricating the core based on the 3D model of the core, whereby the core has an exterior surface corresponding to the exterior surface of the core in the 3D model; coating the exterior surface of the fabricated core with skin-forming material in liquid form or positioning the fabricated core in an exterior mold assembly, assembling the exterior mold assembly, and injecting skin-forming material in liquid form into the cavity; and after the skin-forming material has hardened, removing the hardened skin-forming material from the fabricated core including turning the hardened skin-forming material inside out to cause portions of the hardened skin-forming material abutting the exterior surface of the fabricated core to face outward to provide an exterior surface of an artificial skin, the exterior surface being free of seam lines.
11. A method for fabricating an artificial skin system, comprising: accessing a digital three dimensional (3D) model of an object, wherein the digital 3D model defines a topography of an exterior surface of the object; processing the digital 3D model to generate a 3D model of a core, wherein the processing comprises defining an exterior surface of the core with a topography that is an inverse copy of the topography of the exterior surface of the object; scaling two or more dimensions of the digital 3D model using two or more differing scaling factors during the processing step, whereby the two or more dimensions are smaller or larger in the 3D model of the core than in the digital 3D model of the object; and fabricating the core based on the 3D model of the core, whereby the core has an exterior surface corresponding to the exterior surface of the core in the 3D model.