Communications of the ACM
Origami-Inspired 'Inspector Gadget Robotic Arm'
Researcher team members, shown with their robot, included, from left, Professor Cho Kyu-Jin, post-doctorate Lee Ade-Young, and researcher Kim Suk-Jun.
Credit: Seoul National University
Researchers at Seoul National University's Soft Robotics Research Center in South Korea have developed a foldable origami-inspired robotic arm that can self-fold while also being highly rigid. The machine makes it possible to change the arm's shape with a single wire, thus implying practical application of the origami structure.
The lightweight arm can fold flat and extend in the manner of an automatic umbrella and even becomes instantly stiff. A collapsible locker enables the device to withstand external forces and be easily actuated, while perpendicular folding drives the variable stiffness mechanism. In addition, the lockers can be easily unlocked and the structure is folded flat by pulling a single wire with a small force.
The arm's advantages can be maximized when it is attached to drones where the weight and the size constraints are the most extreme. The proposed variable stiffness mechanism is applicable to other types of robots and structures in extreme environments.
From Seoul National University
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