FYI.

This story is over 5 years old.

robot

Watch A Paper Robot Fold Itself Into Existence…And Walk Away

Roboticists at Harvard and MIT have built a robot that can assemble and function without the aid of human hands.

Roboticists at Harvard and MIT have created a robot that can fold itself into existence and scuttle away without any help from human hands. The machine, inspired by origami folding, comes in a flat package. A tiny heater activates precisely placed shrinking plastic which pulls the body together, folding it into a fully functional, 3D robot.

Senior author and Harvard engineering professor Robert J. Wood said in a Harvard press release, “Getting a robot to assemble itself autonomously and actually perform a function has been a milestone we’ve been chasing for many years." Sam Felton, the student leading the robotics team agrees, predicting endless possibilities for his creation. "Imagine a ream of dozens of robotic satellites sandwiched together so that they could be sent up to space and then assemble themselves remotely once they get there," he said. "They could take images, collect data, and more."

Advertisement

While it's a little bit creepy watching the robot seemingly raise itself up from the dead, thinking of it as self-assembling origami takes the 'robot apocalypse' edge off. If Felton and his team can automate the clunky two-hour prep period, he might be able to manufacture 1000 self-folding paper cranes. We hope Japanese tradition still allows a wish to be granted upon creation, even if the cranes are robots.

For more projects on the cutting edge of microrobotics, check out the Harvard Microrobotics Laboratory.

Related:

Could You Empathize With A Robot? | The Creators Project

A Robot That Puts Pie Charts Onto Actual Pies

Robot Film "Construct" Could Change Everything You Know About CGI

Inside The Making Of Squarepusher's "Music For Robots"