Origami Frog
An origami frog is not able to jump or even move at all unassisted. It is folded from a single piece of paper as in the image at the left. However, engineers at two universities have come up with a jumping robot that is something amazing. About all it has in common with a real frog is that it has a soft body and the ability to hop. That is because the robotic hopper has a soft outside and a metal interior and is made of 3-D printed parts.
Scientists at Harvard University and UC San Diego have created the first robot with a 3D-printed body that transitions from an outer layer that is soft to the touch into a rigid metal core. (The Christian Science Monitor – Science Notebook)
So far in tests, the robots have proven to be durable and powerful. The engineers have demonstrated that the bots can hop about 2.5 feet high and last for more than 30 jumps.
Engineers have designed and built a frog-like jumping robot that incorporates hard and soft parts — and they’ve done it with a 3D printer. (Los Angeles Times – Science Now)
What applications may this robotic hopper have in the future? The engineers reported in the journal Science that the primary applications in the search and rescue field. But, because it is designed to have a soft exterior, it may also be able to operate around humans more safely that a robot with a hard metal exterior.
Biologically inspired robots continue to be a mainstay for robotic designs. This is only one of the latest in the field of biomimetics. Many robots fall into this category. There have been snakebots, robofish, and now a frog-inspired robot.
Let RobotNext know what you think about this.
Sources:
Los Angeles Times, Watch it jump! 3D-printed hopper could lead to better rescue robots
The Christian Science Monitor, Hopping 3-D printed robot has soft exterior, heart of metal
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