Robots start flat, then pop into shape and crawl
Self-folding machines use heated hinges to transform
TRANSFORMER A flat robot about the size of an iPad mini and made mostly of paper and plastic can fold itself into a crawling machine.
Seth Kroll/Wyss Institute
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Google+A new crawling robot has taken a page from origami design.
The machine’s paper-and-plastic body can spring from flat to 3-D just like a pop-up book, researchers report in the Aug. 8 Science. And the action is automatic.
Engineers have built gizmos that can do some self-folding, but they also required hands-on help from humans. By embedding heaters in the robot’s hinges, Harvard microrobotics engineer Sam Felton and colleagues created a device that shifts shape on its own, using preprogrammed temperature changes.
A tiny onboard computer tells the heaters which hinges to warm first. The hinges are made of a polymer that contracts when heated, pulling the robot’s parts together. When the hinges cool, they lock into a folded position. Then two motors jiggle the bot’s legs, making the machine shimmy along in a slow crawl.
Self-folding devices like the robot could save room on spacecraft, or could even transform into portable shelters.
JITTER BOT This self-folding robot uses heated hinges to self-assemble, and can pop into a folded configuration in about four minutes. S. Felton, Science/AAAS |
S. Felton et al. A method for building self-folding machines. Science. Vol. 345, August 8, 2014, p. 644. doi: 10.1126/science.1252610.
S. Gaidos. Into the fold: Flat structures pop into 3-D forms, yielding miniature robots and tools. Science News. Vol. 182, December 15, 2012, p. 22
M. Rosen. Termite inspired robots build structures without central command. Science News. Vol. 185, March 22, 2014, p. 8.
P. Kollipara. Winged robots may shed light on fly acrobatics. Science News. Vol. 183, June 1, 2013, p. 19.
