3D Printing
News Videos Newsletter Contact us
Home / News / Carnegie Melon Develops Paper Robots With Printed Inks
qidi

Carnegie Melon Develops Paper Robots With Printed Inks

August 23, 2018

Soft robotics and 4D printing are taking off thanks to various 3D printing technologies. Now, Carnegie Melon University is leveraging their 3D printing capabilities in building paper robots with printable inks. The robots are delicate constructs that fold and unfold in reaction to electric currents.

The project is the brainchild of a number of researchers at the Morphing Matter Lab at Carnegie Melon. The process is actually one of a printed paper actuator that they printed using an FDM 3D printer. The real trick behind getting the electronic capabilities is the use of polylactide, a sort of thermoplastic that exhibits shape-memory behaviour.

Carnegie Melon Develops Paper Robots With Printed Inks

“We are reinventing this really old material,” said Professor Lining Yao. As assistant professor in the Human-Computer Interaction Institute (HCII) and director of the Morphing Matter Lab, she developed the method along with her team. “Actuation truly turns paper into another medium, one that has both artistic and practical uses.”

What’s fascinating about this robot is the fact that it requires no motor. Guanyun Wang, a CMU Manufacturing Futures Initiative fellow, believes that this presents many opportunities for, not just robotics, but even “interactive art, entertainment and home appliances.”

Functional Paper Robotics With Actuators

The researchers started by printing a 0.5mm layer of conductive ink on to plain paper as the actuator. Next, they oven-heated the whole print at 160° F. Consequently, the paper comes out in the precise folded form that the researchers intended and then needs to cool. This shape becomes the standard form that the paper will always reduce itself to sans stimuli.

The researchers then attached electrical leads to the actuator and the operators used the current to heat it. This causes the thermoplastic to expand and thus flex the paper into a straightened state. It operates like any electronic device, regressing to its ordinary state once the electric flow is cut off.

Although impressive, the team isn’t quite done yet. Prof. Yao and her team are currently looking to speed up the actuation with the use of papers that have better heat conductivity and by developing printable filaments that are customised for the actuators themselves. Theoretically, the paper robots don’t have to just stay in the realm of paper, either. These same principles could easily apply to thermoplastics in the future.

Liquid Crystal Elastomers Form Prints With Shape Memory
Related Story
Liquid Crystal Elastomers Form Prints With Shape Memory

The researchers are optimising the method further, improving the printing speed and the width of the thermoplastic line. These will help achieve different folding or bending effects for future iterations. They also came up with methods for printing touch sensors, finger sliding sensors and bending angle detectors that can control the paper actuators. The future of the research might be far more advanced considering these additional technologies.

Featured image courtesy of Carnegie Melon University. The full study is also available here.

Share:
WhatsApp Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Buffer Reddit E-mail
Join our newsletter

Our newsletter is free & you can unsubscribe any time.

Latest posts

Scientists 3D Print Solar-Powered Sponge for Seawater Desalination

Researchers have developed a 3D-printed aerogel material that uses sunlight to convert seawater into drinking water. The sponge-like structure contains microscopic vertical channels... read more »

News

Revopoint Launches Major Prime Event 2025 Sale with Up to 40% Off 3D Scanners and Accessories

Revopoint is kicking off its Prime Event 2025 with a series of major discounts on its range of professional 3D scanners and accessories.... read more »

News

Turkish Companies Test 3D Printed Component for Armored Vehicles

MetalWorm and Nurol Makina, both based in Ankara, Turkey, have completed testing of an armored vehicle component manufactured using Directed Energy Deposition (DED)... read more »

3D Printing Metal
Turkish Companies Test 3D Printed Component for Armored Vehicles

McGill Spinout Uses 3D Bioprinting to Create Tumors for Smarter Cancer Treatments

TissueTinker, a McGill University spinout company, has developed 3D bioprinting technology to create miniaturized tumor models for cancer drug testing. The company recently... read more »

Medical
McGill Spinout Uses 3D Bioprinting to Create Tumors for Smarter Cancer Treatments

University of Twente Awarded €13.6M for Research in Circular 3D Printing and Transparent AI

The University of Twente has received €13.6 million in funding from the 2024 NWA ORC program to lead two research projects focused on... read more »

News
University of Twente Awarded €13.6M for Research in Circular 3D Printing and Transparent AI

China’s 3D Printed Micro Turbojet Engine Completes Maiden Flight

The Aero Engine Corporation of China (AECC) has successfully completed the first flight test of its 3D-printed micro turbojet engine in Inner Mongolia... read more »

Aerospace
China's 3D Printed Micro Turbojet Engine Completes Maiden Flight

Laser-Assisted Cold Spray Technology Enhances Material Deposition Process

Researchers at the University of Cambridge's Center for Industrial Photonics have developed a new additive manufacturing technique called laser-assisted cold spray (LACS). The... read more »

3D Printing Metal
Laser-Assisted Cold Spray Technology Enhances Material Deposition Process

Titomic Netherlands Secures Strategic Funding to Advance Cold Spray 3D Printing Technology

Titomic Limited, an Australian company specializing in cold spray additive manufacturing, has received €800,000 in funding from the Netherlands' 3D Print Kompas program.... read more »

3D Printing Metal
Titomic Netherlands Secures Strategic Funding to Advance Cold Spray 3D Printing Technology

3D-Printed Insects Help Scientists Map the Limits of Mimicry in Nature

Researchers at the University of Nottingham have developed a method to 3D print life-sized, color-accurate insect models for biological research. The team, led... read more »

Environmental

Social

  • Facebook Facebook 3D Printing
  • Linkedin Linkedin 3D Printing
Join our newsletter

Our newsletter is free & you can unsubscribe any time.

Featured Industries

  • Automotive
  • Aerospace
  • Construction
  • Dental
  • Environmental
  • Electronics
  • Fashion
  • Medical
  • Military
  • QIDI Tech Q1 Pro

    • - Print size: 245 x 245 x 245 mm
    • - 600mm/s max speed
    More details »
    $449.00 QIDI Store
    Buy Now
  • Snapmaker Artisan Premium 3-in-1

    • - Print size: 400 x 400 x 400 mm
    • - comes with enclosure
    More details »
    $2,999.00 Snapmaker
    Buy Now
  • QIDI Plus4

    • - Print size: 305 x 305 x 280 mm
    • - print temperature of 370°C
    More details »
    $799.00 QIDI Store
    Buy Now
  • QIDI Tech X-Max 3

    • - Print size: 325 x 325 x 315 mm
    • - fully enclosed
    More details »
    $799.00 QIDI Store
    Buy Now

Company Information

  • What is 3D Printing?
  • Contact us
  • Join our mailing list
  • Advertise with us
  • Media Kit
  • Nederland 3D Printing

Blog

  • Latest News
  • Use Cases
  • Reviews
  • 3D Printers
  • 3D Printing Metal

Featured Reviews

  • Anycubic Photon Mono M5s
  • Creality Ender 5 S1
  • The Mole 3D Scanner
  • Flashforge Creator 3 Pro

Featured Industries

  • Automotive
  • Aerospace
  • Construction
  • Dental
  • Environmental
  • Electronics
  • Medical
  • Military
  • Fashion
  • Art
2025 — Strikwerda en Dehue
  • Home
  • Join our mailing list
  • Contact us
Blog
  • Latest News
  • Use Cases
  • Reviews
  • 3D Printers
  • 3D Printing Metal
Featured Industries
  • Automotive
  • Aerospace
  • Construction
  • Dental
  • Environmental
  • Electronics
  • Medical
  • Military
  • Fashion
  • Art
Company Information
  • What is 3D Printing?
  • Contact us
  • Join our mailing list
  • Advertise with us
  • Media Kit
  • Nederland 3D Printing