Educator Guide: Origami Outfits Help Bots Retool

MACHINE METAMORPHOSIS This small robot puts on different origami exoskeletons (from top left, clockwise) so it can walk, glide, roll or sail.
MIT CSAIL
About this guide
The article “Origami outfits help bots retool” describes how a cube-shaped mini-robot can wrap itself in different origami exoskeletons to perform various tasks while being driven by a solenoid. The video "Cube robot is a master of disguise" shows the origami bot in action. In this guide, students can focus on details reported in the article, follow connections to earlier articles about robots and explore cross-curricular connections including the topics of solenoids, polymers, solubility and naturally occurring biological “transformers.” In a related activity, students can make and test magnetic solenoids similar to those that were used to control the robot in this article.