Prof. Glaucio H. Paulino and research group member Dr. Tuo Zhao, along with collaborators Prof. Yong Zhu and Dr. Shuang Wu from the North Carolina State University, created a bio-inspired plug-and-play soft modular origami robot enabled by electrothermal actuation with highly bendable and adaptable heaters. By mimicking the rich kinematics of caterpillar segments, each robot module features reprogrammable actuation modes, i.e., extension/contraction and bending. The modular robot can perform several functions, including locomotion, steering, and cargo transport. This work presents a promising technology with potential translation to robots that can grow, heal, and adapt on demand.

The work was published in PNAS on May 14, 2024.

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Movie 1: Kresling origami unit: folding/unfolding and controlled bending	Movie 2: Forward and backward locomotion of the Kresling soft robot	Movie 3: Steering motion of the Kresling soft robot	Movie 4: The Kresling soft robot following an S-shaped trajectory	Movie 5: Robotic module design of the Kresling origami units