Origami Robot Transforms for Space Exploration

Researchers at Switzerland’s Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) have developed an origami-inspired robot called Mori3 that can morph itself into nearly any 3D object. The design is modular, allowing astronauts to use it for a wide variety of purposes in space travel. The robot can change its size, shape, and function, and can handle objects, interact with its environment, and move around. The Mori3 is intended to be a general-purpose robot, morphing itself for any task that might need to be done on a spacecraft, from external repairs in the vacuum of space to internal transportation.