Feature

Into the Fold

Flat structures pop into 3-D forms, yielding miniature robots and tools

As a graduate student, roboticist Robert Wood became fascinated with the idea of developing a life-size, flying bee machine. Able to soar above trees or maneuver around obstacles, such a robot, Wood figured, could gather secret information for military missions or monitor hazardous environments without risking human lives.

Inspired by the folding methods in pop-up books for children, researchers developed this self-assembling robobee. ~~ The Harvard Microrobotics Lab

To create a 3-D structure, researchers in Illinois start by printing slow-drying ink of metal or ceramic particles into flat sheets (left). Such sheets can be folded and refolded into 3-D shapes (crane, right) as long as the ink doesn’t dry completely. ~~ Both: Bok Yeop Ahn et al/Advanced Materials 2010