Robotics meet origami in self-folding sheets

Even origami--that centuries-old art of folding paper into delicate shapes--isn't safe from the cold, metal hand of robotics. Thanks to scientists at Harvard and MIT, programmable electronic sheets can now fold themselves into a cute little boat or plane that virtually any origami aficionado could appreciate.

The self-folding sheets are composed of interconnected triangular sections with universal crease patterns and studded with thin foil actuators (click to enlarge).

(Credit: Harvard University)

Why would the brilliant minds at two of the nation's top universities concern themselves with the likes of origami? The technology behind the self-folding sheets, they say, could lead to all sorts of shape-shifting devices, including "smart" cups that adjust themselves based on the amount of liquid needed, or Swiss Army knife-type devices that could transform themselves into tools like wrenches and tripods.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20009232-1.html