Related papers: Solar-powered shape-changing origami microfliers
In this research, the design and optimization of a novel leaf-shaped antenna inspired by natural leaf structures for radio frequency energy transfer is presented. The objectives of this study are to develop a bio-inspired antenna, optimize…
Here we report the first sub-milligram flapping wing vehicle which is able to mimic insect wing kinematics. Wing stroke amplitude of 90$^\circ$ and wing pitch amplitude of 80$^\circ$ is demonstrated. This is also the smallest wing-span…
We propose a novel design for a lightweight, high-performance space-based solar power array combined with power beaming capability for operation in geosynchronous orbit and transmission of power to Earth. We use a modular configuration of…
Origami and kirigami have emerged as potential tools for the design of mechanical metamaterials whose properties such as curvature, Poisson ratio, and existence of metastable states can be tuned using purely geometric criteria. A major…
Here we present the design of an insect-scale microrobot that generates lift by spinning its wings. This is in contrast to most other microrobot designs at this size scale which rely on flapping wings to produce lift. The robot has a wing…
Adaptation to various scene configurations and object properties, stability and dexterity in robotic grasping manipulation is far from explored. This work presents an origami-based shape morphing fingertip design to actively tackle the…
The photovoltaic sun tracker allows us to increase the energy production. The sun tracker considered in this study has two degrees of freedom (2-DOF) and especially specified by the lack of sensors. In this way, the tracker will have as a…
The electronic dispersion of a graphene bilayer is highly dependent on rotational mismatch between layers and can be further manipulated by electrical gating. This allows for an unprecedented control over electronic properties and opens up…
Kirigami, art of paper cutting, enables two-dimensional sheets transforming into unique shapes which are also hard to reshape once with prescribed cutting patterns. Rare kirigami designs manipulate cuts on three-dimensional objects to…
In conventional inductive wireless power devices, the energy is transferred via only reactive near fields, which is equivalent to non-radiative F\"orster energy transfer in optics. Radiation from transmitting and receiving coils is usually…
Traditional origami structures can be continuously deformed back to a flat sheet of paper, while traditional kirigami requires glue or seams in order to maintain its rigidity. In the former, non-trivial geometry can be created through…
In this paper, we present a full dynamical model of a four-winged micro ornithopter inspired by a dragonfly-type insect. The micro ornithopter is modeled as four articulated rigid body components (wings) connected to the main body via…
We show that periodically folded graphene sheets with enhanced spin-orbit interaction due to curvature effects can carry spin polarized currents and have gaps in the electronic spectrum in the presence of weak magnetic fields. Our results…
Origami structures have been widely explored in robotics due to their many potential advantages. Origami robots can be very compact, as well as cheap and efficient to produce. In particular, they can be constructed in a flat format using…
We demonstrate an amplitude-based micro-displacement sensor that uses a plastic photonic bandgap Bragg fiber with one end coated with a silver layer. The reflection intensity of the Bragg fiber is characterized in response to different…
Here we report the construction of the simplest transmission mechanism ever designed capable of converting linear motions of any actuator to $\pm$60$^\circ$ rotary wing stroke motion. It is planar, compliant, can be fabricated in a single…
Achieving both agile maneuverability and high energy efficiency in aerial robots, particularly in dynamic wind environments, remains challenging. Conventional thruster-powered systems offer agility but suffer from high energy consumption,…
3D printing of high-quality silica photonic structures is particularly challenging, as surface roughness at the nanoscale can severely degrade optical performance through scattering losses. Here, we develop a technique to fold ultrasmooth…
Aerial insects can effortlessly navigate dense vegetation, whereas similarly sized aerial robots typically depend on offboard sensors and computation to maintain stable flight. This disparity restricts insect-scale robots to operation…
Morphing surfaces provide a versatile tool to advance the functionalities of high-performance aircraft, soft robots, biomedical devices, and human-machine interfaces. However, achieving precise shape transformation and mechanical property…