A robot that makes itself transform and runs like an origami

In 2013International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), An origami robot made by Mr. Sam Felton of Harvard University printed materialAnnouncementDid. This was a robot that one piece of paper automatically transformed into a three dimensional scalable warp type and walked out, but an insect type robot that transforms itself, capable of complicated movement with further improvements announced It is being done.

Self-Folding Origami Robot Goes From Flat to Walking in Four Minutes - IEEE Spectrum
http://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/robotics-hardware/self-folding-printable-origami-robot

You can see the movies that contained until the origami robot deformed and started running.

Robot Folds Itself and Walks Away - YouTube


At first it looks just like putting a battery on the pattern paper ... ...


Beginning 43 seconds, both ends gently rose.


Approximately 1 minute and 30 seconds pretty three-dimensional.


The middle lifted the battery together.


At the moment when it reached 3 minutes and 32 seconds, he should have transformed smoothly until now, but he was surprised to stand his toes at a steep angle.


When the transform was finished up to the form that it was possible to run, I ran himself.


When I make a GIF animation about running, it looks like this. Insect-like ... ....?


The pattern paper of the origami robot has a five-layer structure in which the printed circuit board is sandwiched between paper and PSPS (shape memory polymer) from both sides as shown below. The pattern paper is cut out by laser cutting, and a copper wire circuit is stretched around from the printed circuit board. The fold is improved to a flexible one like a hinge, and the deformation part shrinks due to thermal activation from the battery and transforms it.


Furthermore, the crank arm of the mounted motor rotates and the center portion is lifted, and finally the arm is passed through the hole of the lock tab and fixed.


At this stage it is said that it takes two hours by hand to produce a motor and so on after outputting the pattern paper, but the research teamPrint batteryYaPouch / MotorWe are considering installing. If all the parts are assembled just by printing, it means that they can be mass-produced inexpensively.