http://wyss.harvard.edu/viewpressrelease/162/robot-folds-itself-up-and-walks-away
http://phys.org/news/2014-08-origami-robot-printable-video.html
Abstract: http://www.sciencemag.org/content/345/6197/644
Engineers have created a robot based on origami that starts out mostly flat and is able to fold itself up and "walk" away.
Origami can turn a sheet of paper into complex three-dimensional shapes, and similar folding techniques can produce structures and mechanisms. To demonstrate the application of these techniques to the fabrication of machines, we developed a crawling robot that folds itself. The robot starts as a flat sheet with embedded electronics, and transforms autonomously into a functional machine. To accomplish this, we developed shape-memory composites that fold themselves along embedded hinges. We used these composites to recreate fundamental folded patterns, derived from computational origami, that can be extrapolated to a wide range of geometries and mechanisms. This origami-inspired robot can fold itself in 4 minutes and walk away without human intervention, demonstrating the potential both for complex self-folding machines and autonomous, self-controlled assembly.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by ticho on Saturday August 09 2014, @06:00PM
Before anyone else chimes in about how useless this is, let me just say that the coolness factor more than makes up for it. :-)
(Score: 2) by cafebabe on Saturday August 09 2014, @09:27PM
If this or a future iteration folds like a paper plane then it could become a drone.
1702845791×2
(Score: 2) by ticho on Sunday August 10 2014, @07:33AM
A drone that lights its target on fire (see parent's sibling post)? Sounds nasty.:-)
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Saturday August 09 2014, @09:35PM
Far from being cool, it's hot. Literally. TFA [harvard.edu] quote:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 10 2014, @12:47AM
there are companies already doing stuff like this with just materials (no onboard electronics)
google "4D printing"
(Score: 1) by bitshifter on Saturday August 09 2014, @09:06PM
We need an "I for one welcome our %s overlords" macro
(Score: 3, Informative) by Tork on Sunday August 10 2014, @03:52PM
🏳️🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️🌈
(Score: 2) by jasassin on Sunday August 10 2014, @01:08AM
The kids nowadays are so fucking stupid they can't transform a Transformer anymore, so now all they need to do is press a button and it transforms itself.
jasassin@gmail.com GPG Key ID: 0xE6462C68A9A3DB5A
(Score: 2, Insightful) by anubi on Sunday August 10 2014, @01:32AM
Sounds to me like they are learning how to make the folding structures that are required by life.
The instructions for making these structures is in our DNA, and when it is read out, a structure emerges which folds into its operational shape and does its thing... all at the molecular level.
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]