Holly Williams for Art-Sheep
Are robots the coolest? Why, yes they are. That is the reason they seem to star in every imaginary scene of the future, highly complex, evolutionary creations, either anthropomorphic or huge and seemingly deadly, but cool, nonetheless. Although, MIT scientists’ latest creation is neither huge -indeed, it is quite the opposite, being only 1.7cm big-nor as flashy as the robots residing in the imagination of Hollywood directors, it is undoubtedly more than their equal in terms if coolness.
The Untethered Miniature Origami Robot is, as its name so clearly denotes, a mini square robot that is capable of folding itself into a tiny origami, as well as climb slopes, move on various surfaces, swim, tunnel and carry weight twice its own. Relying on a magnet field, created by four elecromagnetic coils and a minuscule neodymium magnet underneath its surface to function, the robot also has the property to disappear when immersed in an acetone solution, with the only thing unharmed being its magnet. The miniature robot’s importance lies in its use as a stepping stone for researchers to develop even smaller, water-soluble robots for medical purposes.
via colossal
