Are paper robots real? Check them out here.


A few months back a process developed at Carnegie Mellon University for creating self-assembling materials that can be printed on a standard 3D printer. Enabling flat sheets to take 3D form on their own could have applications in manufacturing and global commerce. Now the researchers behind the technology are back with a kind of high tech paper that folds and unfolds itself when a mild electric current is applied.

 

The paper actuators are created by applying a thin layer of conducting thermoplastic to plain old paper. The thermoplastic can be applied via a 3D printer or hand painted on. When current is applied, the thermoplastic heats and expands, causing the paper to bend and flex in a predetermined way. When the current is removed, the paper returns to its original shape.

Most robots - even those that are made of paper - require an external motor, but this one does not. It just creates new opportunities, not just for robotics, but for interactive art, entertainment, and home applications.

There are plausible practical uses for the technology, as well. One example would be a lampshade that changes shape depending on the amount of light emitted.

Now, what are you guys waiting for? You can use this concept in your Expert Level so just go on and let your imaginations run wild.

source- ZDNet