Origami robot folds itself up, crawls away
Prototype made almost entirely of printable parts demonstrates crucial capabilities of reconfigurable robots
For years, a team of researchers at MIT and Harvard University has been working on origami robots — reconfigurable robots that would be able to fold themselves into arbitrary shapes.
In the August 7 issue of Science, they report their latest milestone: a robot, made almost entirely from parts produced by a laser cutter, that folds itself up and crawls away as soon as batteries are attached to it.
"The exciting thing here is that you create this device that has computation embedded in the flat, printed version," says Daniela Rus, the Andrew and Erna Viterbi Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT and one of the Science paper's co-authors. "And when these devices lift up from the ground into the third dimension, they do it in a thoughtful way."
Self-assembling Origami Robot is World's First Transformer - Sort Of
Posted by Va'al
Aug 7, 2014 at 1:56pm CDT
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Re: Self-assembling Origami Robot is World's First Transformer - Sort Of
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Comment by Ravage XK
Aug 7, 2014
I love the way it slowly and gently folds itself into shape and then flails around like crazy as it moves away.
Re: Self-assembling Origami Robot is World's First Transformer - Sort Of
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Comment by TulioDude
Aug 7, 2014
Fascinatting material that they used.Doesn't look paper but also doesn't look the metal plates we're used.
Re: Self-assembling Origami Robot is World's First Transformer - Sort Of
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Comment by Megatron Wolf
Aug 7, 2014
that is extremely cool but also really scary, this is definitely one of those things that could advance humanity or destroy it outright.
Re: Self-assembling Origami Robot is World's First Transformer - Sort Of
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Comment by Convoy
Aug 7, 2014
I didn't read or see anything that indicates whether it can change back or not. Still cool though. Reminds me of a pop-up book that can turn its own pages and hop around.
Re: Self-assembling Origami Robot is World's First Transformer - Sort Of
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Comment by Peridot
Aug 7, 2014
I thought this was the world's first Transformer.
Re: Self-assembling Origami Robot is World's First Transformer - Sort Of
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Comment by Blast Cannon
Aug 7, 2014
Another step to Skynet.
Re: Self-assembling Origami Robot is World's First Transformer - Sort Of
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Comment by Ultra Markus
Aug 7, 2014
Soon we will have that flying car that folds into a briefcase!!
Re: Self-assembling Origami Robot is World's First Transformer - Sort Of
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Comment by Stormrider
Aug 7, 2014
I am trying to understand it's application. So this helps industries - how?
Re: Self-assembling Origami Robot is World's First Transformer - Sort Of
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Clearing printer paper jams!
Comment by Ravage XK
Aug 8, 2014
Stormrider wrote:I am trying to understand it's application. So this helps industries - how?
Clearing printer paper jams!
Re: Self-assembling Origami Robot is World's First Transformer - Sort Of
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That sounds annoying. "Guys! Come look what I've made! Wait, where did it go?"
Comment by Mykltron
Aug 8, 2014
one: a robot, made almost entirely from parts produced by a laser cutter, that folds itself up and crawls away as soon as batteries are attached to it.
That sounds annoying. "Guys! Come look what I've made! Wait, where did it go?"
Re: Self-assembling Origami Robot is World's First Transformer - Sort Of
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lol
Comment by Stormrider
Aug 8, 2014
Ravage XK wrote:Stormrider wrote:I am trying to understand it's application. So this helps industries - how?
Clearing printer paper jams!
lol
