Tag Archives: soft-and-origami-robotics

Template-Generated Robots

Overview

Designing robots requires a careful balance between their physical structure and behavior, as modifications in one area typically necessitate changes in the other. To enhance this design process, we introduce a co-design strategy that integrates modularization and abstraction, specifically focusing on the Dynamic Origami Quadruped (DOQ). This method aims to simplify design decisions by minimizing the interactions between components, enabling the creation of versatile robots while reducing the complexity of choices required from designers.

Our approach is grounded in two key concepts. The first involves utilizing dynamical systems templates to abstract essential locomotion dynamics, providing vital constraints that inform kinematics and actuation. The second concept is the Robogami (Kinegami) prototyping technique, which translates high-level specifications into feasible fabrication plans. Together, these frameworks streamline the design process, allowing designers to concentrate on overarching goals while automatically generating the specifics needed for successful prototypes. This work lays the groundwork for future innovations in robotics design.

Related Publications

Robogami Reveals the Utility of Slot-Hopper for Co-Design of DOQ’s Body and Behavior

Chen, Wei-Hsi; Caporale, J. Diego; Koditschek, Daniel E.; Sung, Cynthia

Robogami Reveals the Utility of Slot-Hopper for Co-Design of DOQ’s Body and Behavior (Workshop)

ICRA 2024 Workshop on Co-design in Robotics: Theory, Practice, and Challenges, 2024.

(BibTeX | Links: )

Bio-inspired quadrupedal robot with passive paws through algorithmic origami design

Chen, Wei-Hsi; Qi, Xueyang; Feshbach, Daniel; Wang, Stanley J.; Kuang, Duyi; Full, Robert; Koditschek, Daniel; Sung, Cynthia

Bio-inspired quadrupedal robot with passive paws through algorithmic origami design (Workshop)

7th IEEE-RAS International Conference on Soft Robotics (RoboSoft) Workshop: Soft Robotics Inspired Biology, 2024.

(BibTeX | Links: )

DOQ: A Dynamic Origami Quadrupedal Robot

Chen, Wei-Hsi; Rozen-Levy, Shane; Addison, Griffin; Peach, Lucien; Koditschek, Daniel E.; Sung, Cynthia R.

DOQ: A Dynamic Origami Quadrupedal Robot (Workshop)

ICRA Workshop on Origami-based Structures for Designing Soft Robots with New Capabilities, 2023.

(BibTeX)

Current Personnel

  • Wei-Hsi Chen (ESE Postdoc)
  • Dong Wook Kim (ROBO Staff)
  • Henry Westfall (MEAM Undergrad)
  • Lindsay Fabricant (MEAM, Wharton Undergrad)
  • Sophie Abramovitz (MEAM Undergrad)
  • Vanessa Gong (MEAM undergrad)
  • Solomon Gonzalez (MEAM Master's)

Past Personnel

  • Dhyey Shah (ROBO Master's)
  • Natalie Anfuso (Stevens Institute of Technology Visitor)
  • Xueyang Qi (MEAM, ESE Master's)

Acknowledgments

This project has been supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under grants 2322898 and 1845339, by the Army Research Office (ARO) under Grant W911NF2410090 and the SLICE Multidisciplinary University Research Initiatives Program grant W911NF1810327. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of funding source.

Medical Application of Origami and Soft Robotic Systems

Our lab’s research in origami‐inspired robotics extends into the medical arena through collaborations with the University of Pennsylvania Hospital and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, including partnerships with the Departments of Cardiology and Plastic Surgery. We also work closely with faculty such as Prof. Jordan Raney (MEAM) and Prof. Flavia Vitale (Penn’s Center for Neuroengineering & Therapeutics). These efforts focus on reconfigurable implants, artificial muscles, and soft actuators for medical devices.

A central goal is to develop origami-inspired soft actuators that function as artificial muscles, leveraging advanced fabrication techniques to enable compact, flexible, and highly robust motion. By incorporating principles such as multistability and bistability from origami, we design actuator systems that can be easily reconfigured yet remain strong enough to perform clinically relevant tasks. Our lab also leads work on mechanical characterization of origami-inspired tubular structures for use as reconfigurable implants, aiming to reduce surgical invasiveness by creating implantable devices (e.g., heart or bile duct stents) that can be adjusted noninvasively.

In parallel, our lab is developing algorithms and interactive design tools for kinematic mechanisms, with the goal of enabling the rapid and affordable creation of customized orthotics and prosthetics. These computational tools are intended to streamline the design process for patient-specific assistive devices, broadening access to personalized care.

MORF in Medical Applications
Our MORF (Magnetic Origami Reprogramming and Folding) System—initially developed for general reconfigurable devices—has proven especially promising for medical stents. Recently, in Penn’s Y-Prize competition, the 2025 winners “Stentix” proposed a magnetically reconfigurable biliary stent based on MORF. By using magnetic forces, this stent can be adjusted in position and diameter from outside the body, helping maintain bile flow without repeat endoscopies.

Related Publications

  1. C. Kim, L. Yang, A. Anbuchelvan, R. Garg, N. Milbar, F. Vitale, and C. Sung, “Origami-Inspired Bistable Gripper with Self-Sensing Capabilities,” 2024 IEEE-RAS 7th International Conference on Soft Robotics (RoboSoft), San Diego, CA, USA, 2024 (Accepted)
  2. B. Leung, G. Unger, S. Escorza, J. Chen, M. Fogel, and C. Sung, “Mechanical Characterization of an Origami-Inspired Multistable Tube for Reconfigurable Implants,” Poster at the Biomedical Engineering Society’s (BMES) Annual Meeting, 2023
Mechanical Characterization of an Origami-Inspired Multistable Tube for Reconfigurable Implants,

Leung, Brianna; Unger, Gabriel; Escorza, Saúl; Chen, Jonathan; Fogel, Mark; Sung, Cynthia

Mechanical Characterization of an Origami-Inspired Multistable Tube for Reconfigurable Implants, (Conference)

Biomedical Engineering Society’s (BMES) Annual Meeting, 2024.

(BibTeX)

Origami-Inspired Bistable Gripper with Self-Sensing Capabilities

Kim, Christopher; Yang, Lele; Anbuchelvan, Ashwath; Garg, Raghav; Milbar, Niv; Vitale, Flavia; Sung, Cynthia

Origami-Inspired Bistable Gripper with Self-Sensing Capabilities (Conference)

IEEE-RAS International Conference on Soft Robotics (Robosoft), 2024.

(Abstract | BibTeX | Links: )

Current Personnel

  • Gabriel Unger (MEAM PhD)
  • Kayleen Smith (MEAM Undergrad)
  • Kylie Autullo (MEAM Undergrad)

Past Personnel

  • Christopher Kim (MEAM PhD)
  • Brianna Leung (BE Undergrad)
  • Harita Trivedi (BE Undergrad)
  • Alec Lanter (MEAM Master's)
  • Louis Beardell (University of Michigan, BE Visitor)
  • Serena Carson (ROBO Master's)

Acknowledgments

This work was supported in part by the Johnson & Johnson WiSTEM2D program, by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) Cardiac Innovation program, by the Penn Health-Tech program, and by the Penn Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of funding source.

SALP: Salp-inspired Approach to Low-Energy Propulsion

Jet propulsion is a locomotion mode commonly found in biological swimmers, including cephalopods and tunicates such as squids, cuttlefish, and salps. We are developing a soft salp-inspired robotic system to study mechanisms that produce greater locomotion agility and energetic efficiency.

Salps are barrel-shaped marine invertebrates that swim via jet propulsion. They move forward by rapidly changing the volumes of their body cavity, drawing water into their muscular mantle cavity through the front aperture, and then expelling it under high pressure through the rear funnel. We aim to leverage the unique biomechanics of salps to inform the development of energy-efficient, maneuverable underwater robots capable of environmental sensing in complex marine environments.

Salps can swim either as solitary jet-propelled individuals or while physically connected in a multi-jet colony, commonly known as a “salp chain”. Inspired by salps, we develop the SALP (Salp-inspired Approach to Low-energy Propulsion) robot, a soft underwater robot that swims via jet propulsion similarly to a biological salp.

Version 1: Origami Swimmer

Traditional soft robots use flexible materials for shape change but require complex fabrication. To simplify this, we used an origami-inspired design, which allows the robot to fold from flat sheets into 3D shapes, making it easier to store, transport, and assemble in just a few hours. The robot mimics squid locomotion using the origami magic ball pattern, which transforms between an ellipsoid and a sphere. This enables it to expand and contract, pulling in and expelling water to create a jet for propulsion. A tendon mechanism in its spine controls its length. Ongoing effects focus on evaluating different configurations’ effect (e.g. adding a front nozzle) on the performance of the robot and understanding the underlying dynamics of it.

Mechanism demo

Robot swimming

Version 2: Multi-Robot SALP Robot Platform for Long-Term Distributed Sensing

We have optimized the jetting robot design to enable higher thrust and lower drag. The SALP robot is now modular in the sense that the robots can be manually attached to each other in different physical arrangements to study the effect of multi-robot interactions on locomotion performance. Physically connected SALP chains coordinate their jets to achieve various propulsion modes. We are interested in investigating how physical arrangement and jet coordination between two robots affect the swimming performance and energy efficiency of a two-SALP robotic system. We aim to gain insights into the potential hydrodynamic benefits of multi-jet propulsion by exploring how different coordination strategies influence the surrounding flow environment.

Leveraging Fluid-Structure Interactions for Efficient Control in Geophysical Flows

Micro-vehicles are cost-effective platforms for robotics and automation, excelling in maneuverability and adaptability in diverse environments. However, their lightweight and limited computational capacity pose control challenges. Using our underwater platform, we aim to understand fluid-structure interactions to enhance design and control, resulting in more efficient micro-vehicles with extended lifespans. This effort is a collaborative project focusing on fluid dynamics, control theory, and reconfiguration planning. The project aims to leverage environmental forces for power efficiency, investigating morphological adaptations and passive transport properties. It seeks to synthesize motion control strategies considering inertial effects and fluid-structure interactions while exploring efficiency trade-offs. Ultimately, it aims to enhance micro-autonomous vehicles’ capabilities for long-term operations and future large-scale deploy.

Related Publications

Effect of Jet Coordination on Underwater Propulsion with the Multi-Robot SALP System

Yang, Zhiyuan; Zhang, Yipeng; Herbert, Matthew; Hsieh, M. Ani; Sung, Cynthia

Effect of Jet Coordination on Underwater Propulsion with the Multi-Robot SALP System (Conference)

8th IEEE-RAS International Conference on Soft Robotics (RoboSoft 2025), Forthcoming.

(Abstract | BibTeX | Links: )

Drag coefficient characterization of the origami magic ball

Chen, Guanyu; Chen, Dongsheng; Weakly, Jessica; Sung, Cynthia

Drag coefficient characterization of the origami magic ball (Proceedings Article)

In: ASME International Design Engineering Technical Conferences and Computers and Information in Engineering Conference (IDETC/CIE), pp. DETC2023-117182, 2023.

(Abstract | BibTeX | Links: )

Origami-inspired robot that swims via jet propulsion

Yang, Zhiyuan; Chen, Dongsheng; Levine, David J.; Sung, Cynthia

Origami-inspired robot that swims via jet propulsion (Journal Article)

In: IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, vol. 6, no. 4, pp. 7145-7152, 2021.

(Abstract | BibTeX | Links: )

Current Personnel

  • Dongsheng Chen (MEAM PhD)
  • Zhiyuan (Annie) Yang (MEAM PhD)
  • Ryan Stanford (MEAM Undergrad)
  • Benedict Onyekwe (ROBO Master's)
  • Jingshuo Li (MEAM Master's)
  • Neel Mulay (MEAM Master's)

Past Personnel

  • Adithya Selvakumar (ESE Undergrad)
  • Guanyu Chen (MEAM Master's)
  • Yipeng Zhang (MEAM Master's)
  • Yunyi Chu (MEAM Master's)
  • Zhiyuan (Annie) Yang (MEAM, MCIT Master's)

Acknowledgments

The project “Leveraging Fluid-Structure Interactions for Efficient Control in Geophysical Flows” is in collaboration with Ani Hsieh’s lab from University of Pennsylvania, Eric Forgoston’s lab from Montclair State University, and Philip Yecko’s lab from The Cooper Union.

These projects have been supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Grant No. 2121887 and the Office of Naval Research (ONR) award #N00014-23-1-2068. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of funding source.

CurveQuad: A Centimeter-Scale Origami Quadruped that Leverages Curved Creases to Self-Fold and Crawl with One Motor

Abstract

We present CurveQuad, a miniature curved origami quadruped that is able to self-fold and unfold, crawl, and steer, all using a single actuator. CurveQuad is designed for planar manufacturing, with parts that attach and stack sequentially on a flat body. The design uses 4 curved creases pulled by 2 pairs of tendons from opposite ends of a link on a 270deg servo. It is 8 cm in the longest direction and weighs 10.9 g. Rotating the horn pulls the tendons inwards to induce folding. Continuing to rotate the horn shears the robot, enabling the robot to shuffle forward while turning in either direction. We experimentally validate the robot’s ability to fold, steer, and unfold by changing the magnitude of horn rotation. We also demonstrate basic feedback control by steering towards a light source from a variety of starting positions and orientations, and swarm aggregation by having 4 robots simultaneously steer towards the light. The results demonstrate the potential of using curved crease origami in self-assembling and deployable robots with complex motions such as locomotion.

Publisher source: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10342339

Paper full text: https://repository.upenn.edu/handle/20.500.14332/58861

Fabrication Files

Laser Cut Files

3D Print Files

Circuit Design Files

Related Publication

CurveQuad: A centimeter-scale origami quadruped that leverages curved creases to self-fold and crawl with one motor

Feshbach, Daniel; Wu, Xuelin; Vasireddy, Satviki; Beardell, Louis; To, Bao; Baryshnikov, Yuliy; Sung, Cynthia

CurveQuad: A centimeter-scale origami quadruped that leverages curved creases to self-fold and crawl with one motor (Conference)

IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), 2023.

(Abstract | BibTeX | Links: )

BibTeX (Download)

@conference{feshbach2023curvequad,
title = {CurveQuad: A centimeter-scale origami quadruped that leverages curved creases to self-fold and crawl with one motor},
author = {Daniel Feshbach and Xuelin Wu and Satviki Vasireddy and Louis Beardell and Bao To and Yuliy Baryshnikov and Cynthia Sung},
url = {https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnSHG5F2Iek&ab_channel=SungRoboticsGroup
https://sung.seas.upenn.edu/publications/curvequad/},
doi = {10.1109/IROS55552.2023.10342339},
year  = {2023},
date = {2023-10-01},
urldate = {2023-10-01},
booktitle = {IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS)},
abstract = {We present CurveQuad, a miniature curved origami quadruped that is able to self-fold and unfold, crawl, and steer, all using a single actuator. CurveQuad is designed for planar manufacturing, with parts that attach and stack sequentially on a flat body. The design uses 4 curved creases pulled by 2 pairs of tendons from opposite ends of a link on a 270deg servo. It is 8 cm in the longest direction and weighs 10.9 g. Rotating the horn pulls the tendons inwards to induce folding. Continuing to rotate the horn shears the robot, enabling the robot to shuffle forward while turning in either direction. We experimentally validate the robot’s ability to fold, steer, and unfold by changing the magnitude of horn rotation. We also demonstrate basic feedback control by steering towards a light source from a variety of starting positions and orientations, and swarm aggregation by having 4 robots simultaneously steer towards the light. The results demonstrate the potential of using curved crease origami in self-assembling and deployable robots with complex motions such as locomotion.},
keywords = {2023, origami, self-folding},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {conference}
}

Acknowledgments

The work was supported in part by the Army Research Office (ARO) under MURI Award #W911NF1810327, by NSF Grant #1845339, by the Johnson & Johnson WiSTEM2D Scholars Program, and by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) Award #N00014-23-1-2068. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of funding source.