A technique reminiscent of the traditional practice of paper folding has been adopted by roboticists to create self-governing machines using thin, pliable sheets. These lightweight robots are less complex and costly to manufacture, and their compact size facilitates effortless storage and transportation.
The incorporation of inflexible computer chips for advanced robot capabilities such as sensing, analyzing, and responding to the environment adds additional weight and impedes the folding of thin sheet materials. Hence, researchers at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering have developed a new method of fabricating fully foldable robots that do not require semiconductors to perform a range of complex tasks. The study, published in Nature Communications, describes this technique in detail.
The team achieved this by embedding flexible and electrically conductive materials into pre-cut, thin polyester film sheets. By integrating these with sensors and actuators, they created a system of information-processing units or transistors. The sheet was then programmed with simple computer analogical functions that emulated those of semiconductors. Once cut, folded, and assembled, the sheet was transformed into an independent robot capable of precisely sensing, analyzing, and responding to its surroundings. The researchers named their creation “OrigaMechs,” which is short for Origami MechanoBots.
“This work leads to a new class of origami robots with expanded capabilities and levels of autonomy while maintaining the favourable attributes associated with origami folding-based fabrication,” said study lead author Wenzhong Yan, a UCLA mechanical engineering doctoral student.
The computing functions of OrigaMechs were achieved through the ingenious combination of mechanical origami multiplexed switches, created by the folds of the thin sheet, and programmed Boolean logic commands like “AND,” “OR,” and “NOT.” These switches facilitated a mechanism that generated selective electrical signals based on the pressure and heat input variables in the system. This approach allowed OrigaMechs to process information and perform complex functions without relying on conventional semiconductors, thereby reducing the weight and complexity of the robots.
Using the new approach, the team built three robots to demonstrate the system’s potential:
- an insect-like walking robot that reverses direction when either of its antennae senses an obstacle
- a Venus flytrap-like robot that envelops a “prey” when both of its jaw sensors detect an object
- a reprogrammable two-wheeled robot that can move along pre-designed paths of different geometric patterns
During the demonstration, the OrigaMechs were linked to a power source via a tether. However, the researchers have stated that their ultimate objective is to equip these autonomous origami robots with an integrated energy storage system that uses thin-film lithium batteries as a power source. This would enable the robots to operate independently for extended periods, untethered from an external power supply. With such a system in place, the OrigaMechs could be deployed in a wide range of scenarios, including hazardous or inaccessible environments where it would be impractical or unsafe for human intervention.
By eliminating the need for chips in their design, the OrigaMechs may herald a new era of robotic technology capable of operating in extreme environments that are hostile to traditional semiconductor-based electronics. Such environments may include regions with strong magnetic or radiative fields, locations with intense radio frequency signals, and areas with high levels of electrostatic discharge. With their robust design and ability to operate autonomously, OrigaMechs could potentially carry out missions that are either too hazardous or difficult for human workers or conventional robots, thereby expanding the range of possible applications for robotics.
“These types of dangerous or unpredictable scenarios, such as during a natural or manmade disaster, could be where origami robots proved to be especially useful,” said study principal investigator Ankur Mehta, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering and director of UCLA’s Laboratory for Embedded Machines and Ubiquitous Robots.
“The robots could be designed for specialty functions and manufactured on demand very quickly,” Mehta added. “Also, while it’s a very long way away, there could be environments on other planets where explorer robots that are impervious to those scenarios would be very desirable.”
The use of the flexible cut-and-fold method to produce pre-assembled robots offers significant advantages in terms of space savings, particularly in scenarios where every cubic centimetre counts, such as space missions. The low-cost, lightweight, and easy-to-manufacture robots may also provide opportunities for creating innovative educational tools, new kinds of toys and games, and other applications.
The research team comprised a multidisciplinary group of experts, including UCLA undergraduate student Mauricio Deguchi and graduate student Zhaoliang Zheng, who worked alongside roboticists Shuguang Li and Daniela Rus from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Together, they developed the OrigaMechs and demonstrated the viability of the flexible cut-and-fold technique for creating advanced robots without the need for semiconductors. Their groundbreaking research has opened up exciting new possibilities for robotics and other related fields, and their findings could have a significant impact on future technological developments.
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