ROBOTS OF THE WEEK: FOLDING ORIGAMI BOTS
by Hazed
A team from Harvard University have developed some robots inspired by the ancient Japanese art of paper folding – origami. The self-folding robots can take shape and crawl about without human intervention.
They are made from flat layers of material, some of which are rigid and hold their shape while others are made from a heat-shrinking polymer. The layers contain elements which provide heat, and that allows the robot to construct itself.
This has huge potential for self-deploying structures, such as shelters or structures that can be used to offer humanitarian aid in war zones, or for space exploration or satellites.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-28660904
