Battery-free robots use origami to change shape in mid-air
From University of Washington 15/09/23 Researchers at the University of Washington have developed small robotic devices that can change how they move through the air by “snapping” into a folded position during their descent. When these “microfliers” are dropped from a drone, they use a Miura-ori origami fold to switch from tumbling and dispersing outward […]
Steel cork: MIT engineers use kirigami to make ultrastrong, lightweight structures for airplanes
From Massachusetts Institute of Technology 23/08/23 Cellular solids are materials composed of many cells that have been packed together, such as a honeycomb. The shape of those cells largely determines the material’s mechanical properties, including its stiffness or strength. Bones, for instance, are filled with a natural material that enables them to be lightweight, but stiff and strong. Inspired by […]
