A robot that might assist wheelchair users in picking up and grasping items is being designed by WPI researchers using origami.

A lightweight, flexible robotic arm is being developed by robotics engineering experts at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), drawing inspiration from origami. This arm will allow a wheelchair user to securely grip, lift, and transport goods that would otherwise be out of reach.

A framework for the design, modeling, and control of soft continuum robotic arms—which are more flexible than conventional robot arms—is being developed by researchers Cagdas Onal, Berk Calli, and Loris Fichera throughout the four-year project. The National Science Foundation awarded $1.3M to support the study.

Soft continuum robotic arms may move in various directions and around objects by expanding, contracting, and bending along their length, much like a coiled spring. Soft robotics is a promising technique in complex human contexts because of its adaptability. But compared to conventional robot arms composed of hard materials, soft robotic arms are generally often weaker, more unsteady, and less accurate.

The researchers are creating origami-inspired designs and innovative manufacturing techniques for modules composed of lightweight polymers, 3D-printed parts, and readily available components like wires and sensors in order to overcome the shortcomings of soft robotic arms. The researchers are developing lightweight, stiff, and twist-resistant modules by folding flat sheets of transparent plastic into structures that resemble springy tubes.