Origami-inspired robot developed for microsurgery and other uses

Researchers from Harvard University have developed a new miniaturised origami-inspired robot that offers a range of micromanipulation applications in manufacturing and medicine.

Created by the university's Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, the milliDelta robot utilises a new microfabrication technique and incorporates high-performance composite materials, complete with flexural joints and bending actuators.

It means that the device – which is around the size of a small coin – can operate with high speed, force and micrometre precision, with its piezoelectric actuators allowing it to perform movements at frequencies 15 to 20 times higher than currently available Delta robots.

The robot can operate in a workspace of about seven cubic mm, making it ideal for micromanipulations in industrial pick-and-place processes, as well as microscopic surgeries such as retinal operations on the human eye. Initial tests have already demonstrated the device's promise as a hand tremor-cancelling device.

Dr Donald Ingber, founding director of the Wyss Institute, said this research "opens entirely new avenues of development for industrial and medical robots, which are currently beyond the reach of existing technologies".

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