This drone has an origami arm that unfolds to pick up objects


In a quest to make drones more functional (and just a little bit creepier), scientists have created a foldable robotic arm that allows drones to pick up objects inside narrow ditches.

The arm, described in a study published today in Science Robotics, is made of seven plastic actuators that look like rectangular boxes stacked up on top of each other and stretching up to 27.5 inches (70 centimeters) in length. But what’s special about the actuators is that they can be folded flat, so that the arm is stowed away. Scientists attached the arm to a drone. When equipped with finger-like grippers, the arm could grab an object at the bottom of a ditch. When equipped with a camera, it could take video among tree branches.

“Folding, packaging of...

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via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2DsvVRn"

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