Self-folding fiberglass ‘smart’ sheets make Origami Robots possible

These are the robots of new kind, without hands or feet, these are self-folding fiberglass sheets that take inspiration from ancient art of origami. Developed by the researchers at Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.), a single sheet, composing of interconnected half-millimeter thick and half-inch-wide triangular sections transforms itself into forms, which resemble the everyday objects. This development in technology could one day produce complex things like a cup, knife or other tools when needed. Referred to as ‘Origami Robots’, these smart sheets employ such finesse in mechanism that it cannot be called anything short of magical.

self folding smart sheets

Rigid tiles and elastomer joints make the sheet, which in turn is studded with motorized switches and flexible electronics. And, now the aim of this technology is to make programmable matter more robust and practical. According to Scientific American, Daniela Rus, a professor in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science department at MIT, “You can imagine making machines that have the ability to give you three-dimensional views of the objects they render. In the more distant future programmable matter applications might move beyond mere shape mimicry to involve programmable optical, electric or acoustic properties.”

Via: Zdnet