Origami-inspired Robotic Arm for Drone

A team of South Korean scientists has developed a foldable robotic arm for drones, with its designs inspired by the traditional paper-folding technique of origami.

A tiny six-sided object is seen hanging from the bottom of this flying drone. Then the object suddenly stretches out and picks up a coke can in the ditch. The drone that completed its job folds the robotic arm and lands on the ground.

The novel 4-centimeter "drone arm", developed by the research team of Seoul National University, is a hexagonal structure that can be stretched out up to 70 centimeters in length -- 17 times its size.

The variable stiffness mechanism used to make the robotic arm is based on an origami principle of perpendicular folding.

The robotic arm weighs only 30 grams but it is capable of withstanding more than 12 kilograms of compressive load.

[Cho Kyu-Jin, professor, Seoul National University]
"Such a structure which is as thin as a sheet of paper can withstand a fairly big compressive load. This robotic arm uses the variable stiffness technology which features merits of both rigid and soft robots based on an origami principle."

The team said the the variable stiffness mechanism can be applied to other types of structures in extreme environments such as space, underwater and mountainous areas.