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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 1, 2025

Folding and Characterization of a Bio-responsive Robot from DNA Origami

Folding and Characterization of a Bio-responsive Robot from DNA Origami

Published on: December 3, 2015

Addressable wireless actuation for multijoint folding robots and devices.

Mustafa Boyvat^1,2, Je-Sung Koh^1,2,3, Robert J Wood^1,2

¹School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. mboyvat@fas.harvard.edu jskoh@seas.harvard.edu rjwood@seas.harvard.edu.

Science Robotics

|November 7, 2020

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

This study introduces a battery-free wireless folding method for complex devices, using electromagnetic power to control origami-like robots. This innovation enables addressable folding motions without wires or batteries.

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Last Updated: Dec 1, 2025

Folding and Characterization of a Bio-responsive Robot from DNA Origami

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Published on: December 3, 2015

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Area of Science:

Robotics
Materials Science
Electrical Engineering

Background:

Origami-like folding offers a simple, low-cost manufacturing method for complex devices and robots.
Powering small-scale folding robots wirelessly without batteries presents a significant challenge for their functionality.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop a battery-free wireless folding method for dynamic multijoint structures.
To enable addressable folding motions in devices using only passive electronic components.

Main Methods:

Utilized electromagnetic power transmission for wireless energy delivery.
Employed resonance selectivity to actuate resistive shape memory alloy actuators.
Demonstrated the method on two folded devices of varying sizes and circuit designs.

Main Results:

Achieved battery-free wireless folding for dynamic multijoint structures.
Enabled addressable folding motions, including individual and collective folding.
Successfully demonstrated the approach on different-sized devices with distinct circuit configurations.

Conclusions:

The developed method overcomes the battery dependency hurdle for small-scale folding robots.
This wireless actuation technique facilitates the creation of functional, untethered folding devices.
The approach holds promise for advancing the field of self-assembling and self-folding robotic systems.