Origami Robot that Self-folds, Walks, Swims will Blow Your Geek Mind

MIT showed off a tiny robot that will blow your Geek Mind. Video below.

The MIT has been working on so called origami robots since years. MIT has a report from 2010 detailing the initial research. This week at the ICRA 2015 in Seattle the MIT researchers working on origami robots showed of their latest version and the tiny robot will blow your Geek Mind.

The untethered miniature origami robot can self-fold, walk, swim, and also degrades if necessary. The origami robot uses magnetic fields to fold and move around. For folding the origami robot carries a permanent magnet.

The origami robot is though a bit like a magic trick. It can’t really move by itself. A set of four electromagnetic coils are underneath the surface that the robot is on to provide the magnetic fields that drive it. The aim is that one day such tiny robots are moving inside our body to fix things. As the latest robot can dissolve itself it can stay inside the body.

Via IEEE.

The details of the research are published in a paper titled “An Untethered Miniature Origami Robot That Self-folds, Walks, Swims, and Degrades” by Shuhei Miyashita, Steven Guitron, Marvin Ludersdorfer, Cynthia R. Sung, and Daniela Rus from MIT and TU Munich.

See also the latest tricks MIT’s Cheetah Robot can do.