The ancient artistic production of origami has been given a New twist , thanks to a team of scientist at Donghua University in China , who draw inspiration from the Japanese report - fold technique to exchange a tack of graphene into a walking robot . The sheet can be remote control simply by heating system or illuminate it , and is even able to become corner and adopt predesigned shapes .
research worker now hope that the technology , which represents an improvement on old close up complex body part , can be used for a range of purpose , including the creation of artificial muscles .
The adjustment of origami principles for robotics is not a fresh construct , and has played a polar role in the design of several ego - folding structures in the past . For instance , a paper published in the journalSciencelast year explained how a special fold called the Miura - ori tessellation may be used to provide mechanically skillful stability to some robots .
However , in a new newspaper publisher in the journalScience advance , the squad from Donghua pointed out that previous attempt to make self - close down structures have lean to usepolymers – large molecules made of repeat subunits – which have piteous stability . what is more , polymer canvas do not expand and shrink evenly , which mean they do not fold swimmingly , and can only be control using wires and electrical circuit connective . Yet by usinggraphene , the researchers lay claim to have create a superior social system . Not only is graphene strong and more quick than traditional polymer , but the sheet can also be assure remotely .
Graphene , which consists of layers of hexagonally - arranged carbon copy atoms just one speck thick , is known for its sovereign tractability , and wasonce labeled“the strongest material ever evaluate . ” According to James Hone , professor of mechanically skillful technology at Columbia University , graphene is “ 200 times stronger than structured sword . ”
By thinly altering the humidity , temperature and ignitor around the structure , the team behind the present written report feel that the graphene sheet of paper readily absorbed and desorbed water molecules , causing it to bend and straighten . As the video below shows , this enabled the sheet to " walk " while being controlled remotely . researcher believe they have now addressed many of the issues hindering previous ego - fold devices , and hope that the implications will be far - reaching within the robotics manufacture and beyond .
