Method and apparatus for making a soft robotic marine animal

A method for casting an object, the method comprising:

• congruously coupling two approximately planar mold components having matching stelliform peripheries, thereby forming a mold assembly;
• and
• introducing a castable material into said mold assembly;
• wherein each said mold component is characterized by a circular central void and a geometric center and includes at least three mold projections and at least three attachment segments, said at least three mold projections radiating from said geometric center and spaced equidistantly about said circular central void, said at least three attachment segments separated from each other by said mold projections and defining a discontinuously segmented annulus that is characterized by said geometric center and is diametrically greater than the circular central void, each said attachment segment interposed directly between and connecting two said mold projections, said at least three attachment segments being spaced apart equidistantly about said discontinuously segmented annulus and radially outwardly distanced from said circular central void wherein the number of said at least three attachment segments equals the number of said at least three mold projections, each said attachment segment having a through-hole provided therein;
• wherein the congruous coupling of said two mold components includes:
• aligning the respective said circular central voids, geometric centers, mold projections, attachment segments, and through-holes;
• engaging each aligned pair of the respective said through-holes with a fastener wherein each said fastener passes through both of the aligned said through-holes, and wherein said fasteners are symmetrically arranged about said geometric center in furtherance of a clamping force exerted by said two mold components with respect to each other that is evenly distributed about the aligned said geometric centers.