Researchers Create Origami Wheels That Can Change Size 52

Posted by samzenpus on Monday July 21, 2014 @01:03AM from the power-of-the-fold dept.

rtoz writes Researchers from Seoul National University have designed a robotic wheel based on the origami "magic ball pattern," which is a traditional technique used to create folded paper spheres. This robotic wheel can change its radius to create larger wheels to climb over things, and shrink back to a smaller size to squeeze under obstacles. The diameter of the wheels changes automatically to enable the robot to either be strong or speedy. The scientists think their innovation could one day be used for interplanetary rovers as the wheel can be folded up and "inflate" itself.

Researchers Create Origami Wheels That Can Change Size

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Snow Crash! (Score:3, Insightful)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Monday July 21, 2014 @01:08AM (#47498527)

Oh how I want one of those skateboards...

- Re: (Score:2)
  
  by SB2020 ( 1814172 ) writes:
  
  Why is this modded -1? The wheels of the skateboards in Snow Crash are the first thing that came to mind when I saw this.
  - - Re:Snow Crash! (Score:4, Informative)
      
      by ArcadeMan ( 2766669 ) writes: on Monday July 21, 2014 @07:27AM (#47499535)
      
      Perhaps a link [wikipedia.org] would have helped?
      
  - Re: (Score:2)
    
    by drinkypoo ( 153816 ) writes:
    
    Smartwheels are made of telescoping scopes which depend on future-tech materials science, and this will require different future-tech materials science to be practical, so clearly it's totally different.
    Seriously though, it is totally different. Smartwheels can track over broken surfaces with full traction, these cannot.
    - - Re: (Score:2)
        
        by drinkypoo ( 153816 ) writes:
        
        "telescoping scopes"? It's scopes all the way down?
        I suppose you could use spokes.
        
        Re: (Score:2)
        
        by unrtst ( 777550 ) writes:
        
        "telescoping scopes"? It's scopes all the way down?
        I suppose you could use spokes.
        Not sure telespoking scopes would do any better.
    - Re: (Score:2)
      
      by Dins ( 2538550 ) writes:
      
      I'll have you know, drinkypoo, that looking up your signature lead me to read Snow Crash to begin with. Great book!
      - Re: (Score:2)
        
        by drinkypoo ( 153816 ) writes:
        
        I'll have you know, drinkypoo, that looking up your signature lead me to read Snow Crash to begin with. Great book!
        Well, at least there's that to make all this time spent Slashdotting worthwhile. If I am an anything fanboy, I am one for Neal Stephenson.
- Re: (Score:3)
  
  by 228e2 ( 934443 ) writes:
  
  I didnt have a problem understanding him. You're just confusing someone who sounds different than you as someone with a mental illness.
Um, here's a simpler way (Score:5, Informative)

by 50000BTU_barbecue ( 588132 ) writes: on Monday July 21, 2014 @01:31AM (#47498571) Journal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
But I guess that doesn't pump the money through the university system, nor feed the "interplanetary rover!" scenarios, nor create new IP...

- Re:Um, here's a simpler way (Score:4, Insightful)
  
  by Sique ( 173459 ) writes: on Monday July 21, 2014 @02:02AM (#47498625) Homepage
  
  This is a different scenario and thus a different solution.
  
  - Re: (Score:2)
    
    by 50000BTU_barbecue ( 588132 ) writes:
    
    What's different about climbing over obstacles?
    - Re: (Score:3)
      
      by Sique ( 173459 ) writes:
      
      The demonstration video of the origami wheel was not about climbing obstacles, it was using the foldable wheel as some gear replacement with continous transmission ratio.
      - Re: (Score:3)
        
        by 50000BTU_barbecue ( 588132 ) writes:
        
        "his robotic wheel can change its radius to create larger wheels to climb over things"
        
        Re: (Score:2)
        
        by stephenmac7 ( 2700151 ) writes:
        
        Yes, but it can also get smaller, to be able to squeeze through small spaces. The point is not being able to climb over things, but being able to adapt to the current situation. Depending on the size of the thing it need to climb over and how fine it's movement needs to be, it can adjust the wheel size.
- - Re: (Score:2)
    
    by 50000BTU_barbecue ( 588132 ) writes:
    
    ...I don't think the "smooth plastic tyres" (lol) were the point here, Anorak-Prime.
    So things never improve?
    Got it.
    Bell end.
    (yay! I can use hilarious foreign phrases too!)
  - Re: (Score:3)
    
    by butalearner ( 1235200 ) writes:
    
    Nor did it work very well. My nephew had one many years ago. they were pretty crap. It's affinity with getting stuck was quite impressive.
    I also had one as a kid, and I agree: it was next to impossible to get the things to go straight with those claws sticking out. However, I also had an RC truck in which the wheels were telescoping cylinders with relatively thick rubber-ish strips attached at both ends. Fully extended the strips were flat, but you could flip a switch (or something) and it would retract, making the strips bow outward, significantly increasing (maybe doubling) the effective diameter. Parentheticals because it was a long tim
    - Re: (Score:2)
      
      by unrtst ( 777550 ) writes:
      
      However, I also had an RC truck in which the wheels were telescoping cylinders with relatively thick rubber-ish strips attached at both ends.
      Perhaps one of these? https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
- Re: (Score:2)
  
  by Charliemopps ( 1157495 ) writes:
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
  But I guess that doesn't pump the money through the university system, nor feed the "interplanetary rover!" scenarios, nor create new IP...
  I still have that thing and my kid plays with it. LOL
- Re: (Score:2)
  
  by CODiNE ( 27417 ) writes:
  
  But more importantly it doesn't have reaction traction.
  http://youtu.be/5ooEz9QtErM [youtu.be]
The main advantage of origami (Score:5, Funny)

by The Evil Atheist ( 2484676 ) writes: on Monday July 21, 2014 @02:13AM (#47498649)

The main advantage of the origami wheel is five-fold.

- Re: (Score:2, Funny)
  
  by Anonymous Coward writes:
  
  I'm not convinced it's an advantage; most origami designs fold under pressure.
  - Re: (Score:2)
    
    by ArcadeMan ( 2766669 ) writes:
    
    Yeah but if Apple ever needs to add wheels to one of their product, it's a perfect match since they're already paper-thin.
- Re: (Score:2)
  
  by oldmac31310 ( 1845668 ) writes:
  
  I would have thought that the main advantage would be either mountain or valley fold.
differential (Score:5, Interesting)

by C3lt ( 3644813 ) writes: on Monday July 21, 2014 @04:09AM (#47498917)

Presumably wheels that change in size can also be used instead of a differential?

- Re:differential (Score:4, Informative)
  
  by Sockatume ( 732728 ) writes: on Monday July 21, 2014 @04:39AM (#47499005)
  
  Yep, one of their cited benefits is continuously variable torque without the weight of a transmission.
  
- Re: (Score:2)
  
  by ArcadeMan ( 2766669 ) writes:
  
  They did find water on Mars [2dayblog.com].
No sarcasm. (Score:5, Funny)

by Otto Waltari ( 3756215 ) writes: on Monday July 21, 2014 @04:39AM (#47499003)

Good job reinventing the wheel — and this time I really mean it.

Tyco did it 7 years ago... Shell Shocker RC Toy (Score:3, Informative)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Monday July 21, 2014 @07:14AM (#47499479)

Tyco Shell Shocker RC Toy (2007)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrLmKHjlTz0
Nothing new to see here...

- Re: (Score:1)
  
  by Anonymous Coward writes:
  
  or galoob's "flex" from the late 80s... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02ABnNdbEvg [youtube.com]
Dust, dust everywhere! (Score:2)

by ArcadeMan ( 2766669 ) writes:

He should have cleaned the floor before recording that fake rescue video.
Clever, but overly complex (Score:2)

by argStyopa ( 232550 ) writes:

First, the main factor in a wheel, above all, is durability. A wheel that fails cannot perform its basic function. I'm not convinced that this wheel structure - while certainly clever -
After all, couldn't you get the EXACT same effect with an even greater range of variation (as well as an inherently simpler, more fault-tolerant and easily repairable design, as well as a principle that scales up or down in sturdiness simply and intuitively?) from an umbrella mechanism?
- Re: Clever, but overly complex (Score:1)
  
  by Anonymous Coward writes:
  
  Build one and let's find out.
CREEPY! (Score:2)

by Charliemopps ( 1157495 ) writes:

Did anyone else get totally creeped out by that ending?
Iain M. Banks featured this, sort of (Score:2)

by Rectal Prolapse ( 32159 ) writes:

In his novel, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A... [wikipedia.org]
Wish he was alive to see this.
Don't you just need the metal wires part? (Score:2)

by Agent0013 ( 828350 ) writes:

Couldn't you do the same thing using only the metal wires that the wheel actually rolls on? The origami part is unnecessary. You simply have the metal wires folded along the axle with a cable that pulls them in the same way this one does. The wires would then extend away from the axle and make a larger wheel diameter without the need for the paper origami part at all. As it is, the paper part does not seem to serve any function. It does not roll along the ground, nor does it extend the wires, the cable does

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Snow Crash! (Score:3, Insightful)

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Re:Snow Crash! (Score:4, Informative)

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Um, here's a simpler way (Score:5, Informative)

Re:Um, here's a simpler way (Score:4, Insightful)

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The main advantage of origami (Score:5, Funny)

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differential (Score:5, Interesting)

Re:differential (Score:4, Informative)

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No sarcasm. (Score:5, Funny)

Tyco did it 7 years ago... Shell Shocker RC Toy (Score:3, Informative)

Re: (Score:1)

Dust, dust everywhere! (Score:2)

Clever, but overly complex (Score:2)

Re: Clever, but overly complex (Score:1)

CREEPY! (Score:2)

Iain M. Banks featured this, sort of (Score:2)

Don't you just need the metal wires part? (Score:2)

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