Self-folding robot rolls around, completes its mission, and then self-destructs

Unsatisfied with merely constructing a cheetah-like robot capable of running and jumping over objects are top speeds, the researchers at MIT have also brought forth a mini origami robot that self-assembles, rolls, spins, and ultimately, self-destructs. 

Beginning its life as a flat PVC sandwiched between laser-cut sheets of polystyrene or paper, the robot contracts into a pre-cut shape surrounding a cubic neodymium magnet when a heating element is introduced. Within a minute, the robot is completely folded and ready to roll along, driven by a “motor” made up of four electromagnetic coils tucked beneath the central magnet. 

This occurs because the coils rapidly flicker on and off, producing an oscillating magnetic field of about 15Hz, which in turn causes the magnet the robot’s chassis to vibrate. As this occurs, the robot’s front and back legs alternatively touch the ground, causing the machine to scuttle along at a rate of 3 to 4 cm/s; that magnetic isn’t actually dragging the robot.
 
Once the robot has fulfilled its mission, driving it into a tank of acetone will dissolve everything save for the magnetic. The researchers are still working on getting the machine to dissolve in water, which while is a far more complex affair, is something they remain confident about in the near future. Similarly, the robot may become fully autonomous once they’ve devised a means of incorporating foldable sensors.

Such a possibility will render this form of machine invaluable in research, espionage, or perhaps even in medicine, should a means of shrinking the robot and properly discarding its magnet be determined.

Source: IEEE Spectrum