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Soft Robots with Built-In LEDs

Summary

Areas of Science
Robotics
Difficulty
Method
Engineering Design Process
Time Required
Short (2-5 days)
Prerequisites

None

Material Availability

Silicone rubber must be ordered online. An Arduino kit is available from our partner Home Science Tools® if you want to interface your project with an Arduino. 

Cost
High ($100 - $150)
Safety

Wear gloves when mixing the silicone rubber.

Credits
Ben Finio, PhD, Science Buddies
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsSRQozNZk0
*Note: For this science project, you will need to develop your own experimental procedure. Use the information on this page as a starting place. If you would like to discuss your ideas or need help troubleshooting, use the Ask An Expert forum. Our Experts won't do the work for you, but they will make suggestions and offer guidance if you come to them with specific questions.

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Abstract

Check out the soft robotic gripper and artificial robotic skin projects. These projects show you how to use flexible silicone rubber to make robots or robotic parts. The second project shows you how to connect external LEDs using an Arduino. The LEDs light up when an embedded piece of conductive fabric stretches. What about embedding LEDs in the silicone rubber? You can do this by embedding the LEDs between layers of silicone (Figure 1). The trick is to solder flexible stranded wires to the LEDs and then bend the wires back and forth to form springs. This allows the wires to stretch and compress along with the silicone. 

Can you make your own soft robots with embedded LEDs? What interesting lighting effects can you generate, for example, with red, green, and blue LEDs and using the silicone rubber as a diffuser (Figure 2)? How can you control the LEDs' behavior when combined with a stretch sensor and an Arduino? What are some possible applications for soft robots with built-in lighting?

LED with wire springs embedded in siliconeImage Credit: Ben Finio / Science Buddies
Figure 1. An LED with bent wires placed upon the first layer of silicone for a soft robotic stretch sensor.


sheet of silicone rubber with embedded red, green, and blue LEDsImage Credit: Ben Finio / Science Buddies
Figure 2. Silicone stretch sensor with embedded red, green, and blue LEDs.

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Global Goals

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) are a blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.

This project explores topics key to Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure: Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.
Home Science Tools®

Contact Us

Our kits are developed in partnership with Home Science Tools®. If you have purchased a kit for this project, Home Science Tools® is pleased to answer any questions.

In your email, please follow these instructions:
  1. Include your Home Science Tools® order number.
  2. Please describe how you need help as thoroughly as possible:

    Examples

    Good Question I'm trying to do Experimental Procedure step #5, "Scrape the insulation from the wire. . ." How do I know when I've scraped enough?
    Good Question I'm at Experimental Procedure step #7, "Move the magnet back and forth . . ." and the LED is not lighting up.
    Bad Question I don't understand the instructions. Help!
    Good Question I am purchasing my materials. Can I substitute a 1N34 diode for the 1N25 diode called for in the material list?
    Bad Question Can I use a different part?

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Cite This Page

General citation information is provided here. Be sure to check the formatting, including capitalization, for the method you are using and update your citation, as needed.

MLA Style

Finio, Ben. "Soft Robots with Built-In LEDs." Science Buddies, 10 July 2025, https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project-ideas/Robotics_p069/robotics/soft-robot-LEDs. Accessed 23 June 2026.

APA Style

Finio, B. (2025, July 10). Soft Robots with Built-In LEDs. Retrieved from https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project-ideas/Robotics_p069/robotics/soft-robot-LEDs


Last edit date: 2025-07-10

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