Friday, February 24, 2012

Origami Robots Run Only On Air - Includes Video

By Luca Pistor


http://www.kurzweilai.net/origami-robots-run-only-on-air?utm_source=KurzweilAI+Daily+Newsletter+Plain+Text&utm_campaign=bcf969c7e0-UA-946742-1&utm_medium=email




Soft pneumatic actuators based on composites consisting of elastomers with embedded sheet or fiber structures that are flexible but not extensible combine soft lithography, for fabrication, with the principles of origami, for structural design. These actuators respond to pressurization with a wide range of motions, such as bending, extension, contraction, and twisting. (Credit: Ramses V. Martinez et al./Advanced Functional Materials)

4 comments:

Cypress said...

I don't really understand the point of an origami robot that runs on air. Is there like a pump going into it or something? It looked like there was a cord coming out of it that might be pumping air into it so it could move because otherwise it would be just a piece of paper. I don't know why the military would be interested in this.

Esther said...

This is kind of interesting, but I think they should try to develop a more advanced version that can run on air WITHOUT a tube attached. It could just suck in surrounding air.

Camille said...

This is crazy!! How is this possible. AGH!!! Science will haunt me forever like those big giant python things that can eat an eighty pound deer. Science is so confusing!

Sinclaire said...

This is so cool! I think it's really interesting that someone came up with this cool idea and now the military is hooked! P.S. The video was really cool!!!