Moving Toward On-Demand Robots

Moving Toward On-Demand Robots
Aug-10-14
A self-assembling robot made in part from Shrinky Dinks is the first part in a designer's vision to bring robotic helpers to the average consumer.

The origami-inspired robot is made of a composite of paper and Shrinky Dinks (polystyrene), a flexible circuit board, two motors, a pair of batteries, and hinges embedded with heat-producing circuits. A microcontroller controls the heat, which in turn causes the hinges fold in a pre-arranged sequence. Once the folding process is complete, the material will harden, triggering the microcontroller to set the robot on its way.

According to Robert J. Wood, one ultimate goal of the technology is to provide robotic assistance on demand: “You would be able to come in, describe what you need in fairly basic terms, and come back an hour later to get your robotic helper."



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[DISCOVERY.COM]
[WYSS.HARVARD.EDU]
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