Robotic helpers? Scientists tout cheap robot that assembles itself
Robotic helpers? Scientists tout cheap robot that
assembles itself
By Richard Valdmanis
10 hours ago
BOSTON (Reuters) - Scientists say they have developed a
low-cost robot prototype made from paper and children's trinkets that can
assemble itself and perform a task without human help.
The technology could eventually lead to affordable
'robotic helpers' for use in everything from household chores to exploring
space, according to the team of Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of
Technology engineers who developed it.
"Getting a robot to assemble itself autonomously and
actually perform a function has been a milestone we've been chasing for many
years," said Rob Wood of Harvard's School of Engineering and Applied
Sciences. The prototype was jointly announced by Harvard and MIT on Thursday.
The team's robot prototype borrows mechanical principles
from the ancient Japanese paper-folding art of origami, as well as from Shrinky
Dinks - plastic children's toys that shrink into predictable shapes when
heated.
The prototype was made from a flat sheet of composite
paper, embedded with Shrinky Dink bits, hinges, motors, batteries, and a
microcontroller. Once the batteries are placed in the robot, it begins to fold
into shape and perform its task.
In this case, it crawls away at a speed of one-tenth of a
mile per hour. But the engineers have high hopes the low-budget robots will
eventually become more useful.
Wood said they could one day be printed on 3D printers,
sold in stores for $100, and programed to do things such as sweep your porch or
detect gas leaks in your neighborhood.
"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," Wood said.
They could also be used in space.
"Imagine a ream of dozens of robotic satellites
sandwiched together so that they could be sent up to space and then assemble
themselves remotely once they get there," said Sam Felton, a Harvard Ph. D
student who co-authored the research. "They could take images, collect
data, and more."
Felton said the prototype robots still have some
problems, though, including a propensity to burn up before they have folded
into shape. "There is a great deal that we can improve based on this
foundational step," said Felton.
(Editing by James Dalgleish)
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