Field-programmable robotic folding sheet

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 16; no. 1; pp. 6937 - 11
• Main Authors: Park, Hyunkyu, Jeong, Yongrok, Kim, Woojong, Choi, Jungrak, Ahn, Junseong, Jeong, Jun-Ho, Park, Inkyu, Kim, Jung
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 05.08.2025; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 142/126; 639/166/987; 639/166/988; 639/301/1005/1006; Closed loops; Configurations; Electric power; Electrodes; Feedback control; Finite element analysis; Folding; Geometry; Grasping; Humanities and Social Sciences; Locomotion; Morphing; multidisciplinary; Polymer films; Polymers; Programming; Robotics; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Systems design
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-61838-3

Shape transformation by folding showcases intricate geometrical change over dimension, that has long provided the embodied intelligence of autonomous systems capable of adapting to challenging environments and displaying functional versatilities. Hinge-face material assembly interfaced by shape-morphing mechanisms produced the associated means. However, the fixed hinge structure limits the accessible modes of folding configurations despite the existing capability of rectification in plant. Here we introduce a programming strategy of the two-dimensional fold of a robotic sheet into an unbounded set of hinge configurations in the field post-deployment, which is referred to as being field-programmable, driven by a densely distributed electro-thermo-responsive system design. An interconnected set of metallic resistors, incorporated into the thermo-responsive polymer film, performs the dual functionalities of a heater and thermoreceptor, selectively recruited to configure folds through electronic modulation of its electrical power distribution. Electronic layouts, computational algorithms, and closed-loop control schemes present an intuitive means of blending user intent in situ, yielding a servoed, swift, and robust fold-programming process. The system is intrinsically driven by embeddable electronics to enable autonomous system engineering, as potentiated by multi-purpose applications in grasping and locomotion. This study presents a programming strategy for the two-dimensional folding of a robotic sheet into an unbounded set of hinge configurations post-deployment, enabling in situ multi-purpose tasks with applications in dexterous grasping and adaptive locomotion.