Foldable Robot Can Build Itself in 4 Minutes

Blackwell Stith

See You Space Cowboy ...
Jun 28, 2014
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Foldable Robot Can Build Itself in 4 Minutes



The video demonstrates the robot's ability to self-build, as well as its movement.

A team of scientists from the Cambridge-MIT Institute has developed a robot that can assemble itself in a method that resembles the art of origami. The material used to construct this machine is comprised of the same polymer found in Shrinky Dink toys, which shrink when exposed to high temperatures.

The machine begins as a single sheet of the material- embedded with electronics and motors on its top side. It is cut in such a way that allows it to be folded into a pre-determined structure, and the whole process is prompted by an embedded computer. After around 4 minutes, the robot achieves its final form and it is able to walk around. The entire process requires no human interference whatsoever.

Daniela Rus, director of the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at the Cambridge-MIT Institute says that her team's efforts could make robots affordable and easier to manufacture. "Our big dream is to make the fabrication of robots fast and inexpensive," she says, thus helping to "democratize access to robots". The project cost $11,000 to fund, but since the designs have been finalized the estimated cost per unit would be $20 for the structure and $80 for the motor and batteries ($100 in total).

Despite the technology's inexpensive manner, the researchers are not planning on developing it for market. Rus explained that the goal of the study was to demonstrate just how feasible and cheap the concept was. Robert Wood, who studies biologically inspired robots at Harvard University, says the ability to assemble itself autonomously makes the robot particularly suitable for use in confined or hazardous spaces, such as during search-and-rescue missions in collapsed buildings.




What are your thoughts on this robot and its design? Let us know in the comments!

Source: Nature.com [http://www.nature.com/news/origami-robot-folds-itself-in-4-minutes-1.15687]

Video courtesy of New Scientist [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt5OA3LingpZBeEyPYmputQ]

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The Great JT

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Oct 6, 2008
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It's impressive, but let's just say we've a long way to go before we're building spider spy drones.
 

deth2munkies

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Jan 28, 2009
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Dumb non-science person question: Why does it take so long? Is it that the motors that small are very low power, or that the code is inefficient, or that each part can only do one thing at one time or what? The real next step in making these things is making them move much faster in non-repetitive motion.
 

Someone Depressing

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Jan 16, 2011
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Oh my god, it's adorable. And incredible. And slightly terrifying. Still a long way from death spy monster spider robots, but they're still awesome.
 

Sidmen

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Jul 3, 2012
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Prepare Your Keyhole said:
ahh Replicators...

We're screwed :p

Why does it always have to be spidery things(I know it doesn't have 8 legs but still). Why not replicator parrots or kittens :D
Psychological warfare. If you see a replicator kitten coming up, you'll be all "Awww. How cute". But if you see a replicator spider monster, you'll be all "AHH! Run!"
 

FalloutJack

Bah weep grah nah neep ninny bom
Nov 20, 2008
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micuu said:
Sorry, fella, but we're already capable of alot worse than that. That's just a nutty erector set. We DO have real nanotechnology, currently primitive but getting there. But when you consider the nanites, the DNA data storage, the artificial brain tech, the advanced prosthetics, particle beams, possible space-drives, plasma energy generation research, and so on...you realize that some scary-good or scary-bad stuff could be coming soon.