SoylentNews

martyb writes:

What if you could interactively design a robot, print it, and then fold it into shape in a matter of a few hours? Interactive Robogami is just the thing:

Researchers from MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) [...] present a system called "Interactive Robogami" that lets you design a robot in minutes, and then 3D-print and assemble it in as little as four hours.

One of the key features of the system is that it allows designers to determine both the robot's movement ("gait") and shape ("geometry"), a capability that's often separated in design systems.

"Designing robots usually requires expertise that only mechanical engineers and roboticists have," says PhD student and co-lead author Adriana Schulz. "What's exciting here is that we've created a tool that allows a casual user to design their own robot by giving them this expert knowledge."

[...] Importantly, the system is able to guarantee that a design is actually possible, analyzing factors such as speed and stability to make suggestions and ensure that, for example, the user doesn't create a robot so top-heavy that it can't move without tipping over.

Once designed, the robot is then fabricated. The team's origami-inspired "3-D print and fold" technique involves printing the design as flat faces connected at joints, and then folding the design into the final shape, combining the most effective parts of 2D and 3D printing.

[...] The team found that their 3D print-and-fold method reduced printing time by 73 percent and the amount of material used by 70 percent. The robots also demonstrated a wide range of movement, like using single legs to walk, using different step sequences, and using legs and wheels simultaneously.

Designing a robot that can walk is one thing, but the researchers are hoping to develop a system to design robots that can fly.

Original Submission