Sarah Schlieder
Self-Folding Origami Could Lead To Self-Folding Robots
Researchers have figured out how to make materials fold themselves into origami-like shapes. That could be useful for all sorts of robots.
LEARN MOREPosted: 2:07 p.m. EDT Aug 4, 2017
These tiny, folding cubes are actually microscopic robots that can assemble themselves into any pattern or shape.
Engineers designed the bots to mimic natural particle behaviors; they change configuration based on the magnetic fields in their environment.
The researchers said the cubes could be used for biomedical applications, like microsurgery and transporting drugs around the body.
They hope their technology can be applied in future devices that could take on more complex shapes for other applications in robotics and micromanipulation.
