Modular robots are becoming increasingly popular among roboticists as they are composed of different elements or modules that can be reconfigured to carry out specific tasks more effectively. Origami, the Japanese art of folding paper to create 3D decorative shapes, can be an inspiration for the creation of modular robotic structures because it offers predefined models and patterns through which 2D sheets of materials can be turned into elaborate 3D structures with different mechanical properties. Recently, researchers from Guangzhou University, Yanshan University, and other universities in China created a new modular continuous robot constructed of a series of tubes based on a specific origami fold, known as the Miura fold.
The Miura fold
The Miura fold is an origami pattern that results in the folding of a flat surface into a structure with a smaller area. This fold has been used to create different technologies that may benefit from this change in shape, including large solar panels for satellites, which can be launched while folded on themselves and then spread out in space. Researchers used this fold to create flexible tubes, which then served as the basis of their robot. These tubes are based on a sheet of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a robust material sometimes used to create medical devices, pipes, and insulations for cables.
The new robot
To assess the viability of their design and the robustness of the origami structures it is based on, the researchers created a prototype robot made of three flexible tube modules. This robot can both fold on itself to reduce its size and bend to the side. The unified installation of steel wire-driven motors on the base endows the robot with a lightweight, interconnected inner space, high scalability, and a flexible backbone. The robot can contract and bend following specific patterns to complete different tasks.
Experimental evaluation
He, Wen and their colleagues evaluated their prototype in a series of experiments and found that it could successfully complete two different tasks. The first consists of docking onto its base when in a narrow space, and the second, requiring the installation of a magnetic gripper at the top of its structure, entails holding and lifting objects. The team’s work could inspire the creation of other origami-based flexible structures that could serve as the backbone of other robotic systems.
The researchers have developed a new modular continuous robot based on a specific origami fold, the Miura fold. The robot is composed of a series of tubes that are flexible and can be bent, compressed, and twisted without breaking. The robot can contract and bend following specific patterns to complete different tasks. This new modular, origami-based design could be used to create other robots that can effectively tackle different real-world problems.
Leave a Reply