TED2019
Jamie Paik: Origami robots that reshape and transform themselves
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Taking design cues from origami, robotician Jamie Paik and her team created "robogamis": folding robots made out super-thin materials that can reshape and transform themselves. In this talk and tech demo, Paik shows how robogamis could adapt to achieve a variety of tasks on earth (or in space) and demonstrates how they roll, jump, catapult like a slingshot and even pulse like a beating heart.
Jamie Paik - Robotician
Soft robotics expert Jamie Paik designs "robogamis" -- folding robots inspired by origami that are more adaptable than classical robots. Full bio
Soft robotics expert Jamie Paik designs "robogamis" -- folding robots inspired by origami that are more adaptable than classical robots. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:13
As a roboticist,
I get asked a lot of questions.
I get asked a lot of questions.
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"When we will they start
serving me breakfast?"
serving me breakfast?"
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So I thought the future of robotics
would be looking more like us.
would be looking more like us.
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I thought they would look like me,
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so I built eyes
that would simulate my eyes.
that would simulate my eyes.
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I built fingers that are dextrous
enough to serve me ...
enough to serve me ...
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baseballs.
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Classical robots like this
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are built and become functional
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based on the fixed number
of joints and actuators.
of joints and actuators.
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And this means their functionality
and shape are already fixed
and shape are already fixed
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at the moment of their conception.
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So even though this arm
has a really nice throw --
has a really nice throw --
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it even hit the tripod at the end--
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it's not meant for cooking you
breakfast per se.
breakfast per se.
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It's not really suited for scrambled eggs.
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01:12
So this was when I was hit
by a new vision of future robotics:
by a new vision of future robotics:
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the transformers.
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They drive, they run, they fly,
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all depending on the ever-changing,
new environment and task at hand.
new environment and task at hand.
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To make this a reality,
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you really have to rethink
how robots are designed.
how robots are designed.
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So, imagine a robotic module
in a polygon shape
in a polygon shape
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and using that simple polygon shape
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to reconstruct multiple different forms
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to create a new form of robot
for different tasks.
for different tasks.
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In CG, computer graphics,
it's not any news --
it's not any news --
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it's been done for a while, and that's how
most of the movies are made.
most of the movies are made.
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But if you're trying to make a robot
that's physically moving,
that's physically moving,
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it's a completely new story.
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It's a completely new paradigm.
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But you've all done this.
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Who hasn't made a paper airplane,
paper boat, paper crane?
paper boat, paper crane?
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Origami is a versatile
platform for designers.
platform for designers.
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From a single sheet of paper,
you can make multiple shapes,
you can make multiple shapes,
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and if you don't like it,
you unfold and fold back again.
you unfold and fold back again.
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Any 3D form can be made
from 2D surfaces by folding,
from 2D surfaces by folding,
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and this is proven mathematically.
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And imagine if you were to have
an intelligent sheet
an intelligent sheet
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that can self-fold into any form it wants,
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anytime.
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And that's what I've been working on.
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I call this robotic origami,
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"robogami."
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This is our first robogami transformation
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that was made by me about 10 years ago.
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From a flat-sheeted robot,
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it turns into a pyramid
and back into a flat sheet
and back into a flat sheet
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and into a space shuttle.
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Quite cute.
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Ten years later, with my group
of ninja origami robotic researchers --
of ninja origami robotic researchers --
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about 22 of them right now --
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we have a new generation of robogamis,
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and they're a little more effective
and they do more than that.
and they do more than that.
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So the new generation of robogamis
actually serve a purpose.
actually serve a purpose.
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For example, this one actually navigates
through different terrains autonomously.
through different terrains autonomously.
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So when it's a dry
and flat land, it crawls.
and flat land, it crawls.
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And if it meets sudden rough terrain,
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it starts rolling.
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It does this -- it's the same robot --
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but depending on which terrain it meets,
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it activates a different sequence
of actuators that's on board.
of actuators that's on board.
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And once it meets an obstacle,
it jumps over it.
it jumps over it.
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It does this by storing energy
in each of its legs
in each of its legs
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and releasing it and catapulting
like a slingshot.
like a slingshot.
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And it even does gymnastics.
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Yay.
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(Laughter)
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So I just showed you
what a single robogami can do.
what a single robogami can do.
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Imagine what they can do as a group.
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They can join forces to tackle
more complex tasks.
more complex tasks.
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Each module, either active or passive,
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we can assemble them
to create different shapes.
to create different shapes.
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Not only that, by controlling
the folding joints,
the folding joints,
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we're able to create and attack
different tasks.
different tasks.
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The form is making new task space.
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And this time, what's most
important is the assembly.
important is the assembly.
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They need to autonomously
find each other in a different space,
find each other in a different space,
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attach and detach, depending on
the environment and task.
the environment and task.
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And we can do this now.
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So what's next?
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Our imagination.
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This is a simulation
of what you can achieve
of what you can achieve
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with this type of module.
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We decided that we were going
to have a four-legged crawler
to have a four-legged crawler
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turn into a little dog
and make small gaits.
and make small gaits.
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With the same module, we can actually
make it do something else:
make it do something else:
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a manipulator, a typical,
classical robotic task.
classical robotic task.
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So with a manipulator,
it can pick up an object.
it can pick up an object.
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Of course, you can add more modules
to make the manipulator legs longer
to make the manipulator legs longer
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to attack or pick up objects
that are bigger or smaller,
that are bigger or smaller,
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or even have a third arm.
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For robogamis, there's no
one fixed shape nor task.
one fixed shape nor task.
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They can transform into anything,
anywhere, anytime.
anywhere, anytime.
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So how do you make them?
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The biggest technical challenge
of robogami is keeping them super thin,
of robogami is keeping them super thin,
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flexible,
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but still remaining functional.
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They're composed of multiple layers
of circuits, motors,
of circuits, motors,
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microcontrollers and sensors,
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all in the single body,
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and when you control
individual folding joints,
individual folding joints,
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you'll be able to achieve
soft motions like that
soft motions like that
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upon your command.
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Instead of being a single robot that is
specifically made for a single task,
specifically made for a single task,
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robogamis are optimized to do multi-tasks.
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And this is quite important
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for the difficult and unique
environments on the Earth
environments on the Earth
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as well as in space.
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Space is a perfect
environment for robogamis.
environment for robogamis.
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You cannot afford to have
one robot for one task.
one robot for one task.
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Who knows how many tasks
you will encounter in space?
you will encounter in space?
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What you want is a single robotic platform
that can transform to do multi-tasks.
that can transform to do multi-tasks.
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What we want is a deck
of thin robogami modules
of thin robogami modules
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that can transform to do multiples
of performing tasks.
of performing tasks.
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And don't take my word for it,
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because the European Space Agency
and Swiss Space Center
and Swiss Space Center
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are sponsoring this exact concept.
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So here you see a couple of images
of reconfiguration of robogamis,
of reconfiguration of robogamis,
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exploring the foreign land
aboveground, on the surface,
aboveground, on the surface,
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as well as digging into the surface.
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It's not just exploration.
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For astronauts, they need additional help,
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because you cannot afford
to bring interns up there, either.
to bring interns up there, either.
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(Laughter)
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They have to do every tedious task.
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They may be simple,
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but super interactive.
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So you need robots
to facilitate their experiments,
to facilitate their experiments,
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assisting them with the communications
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and just docking onto surfaces to be
their third arm holding different tools.
their third arm holding different tools.
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But how will they be able
to control robogamis, for example,
to control robogamis, for example,
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outside the space station?
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In this case, I show a robogami
that is holding space debris.
that is holding space debris.
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You can work with your vision
so that you can control them,
so that you can control them,
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but what would be better
is having the sensation of touch
is having the sensation of touch
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directly transported onto
the hands of the astronauts.
the hands of the astronauts.
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And what you need is a haptic device,
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a haptic interface that recreates
the sensation of touch.
the sensation of touch.
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And using robogamis, we can do this.
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This is the world's
smallest haptic interface
smallest haptic interface
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that can recreate a sensation of touch
just underneath your fingertip.
just underneath your fingertip.
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We do this by moving the robogami
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by microscopic and macroscopic
movements at the stage.
movements at the stage.
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And by having this, not only
will you be able to feel
will you be able to feel
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how big the object is,
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the roundness and the lines,
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but also the stiffness and the texture.
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Alex has this interface
just underneath his thumb,
just underneath his thumb,
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and if he were to use this
with VR goggles and hand controllers,
with VR goggles and hand controllers,
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now the virtual reality
is no longer virtual.
is no longer virtual.
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It becomes a tangible reality.
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The blue ball, red ball
and black ball that he's looking at
and black ball that he's looking at
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is no longer differentiated by colors.
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Now it is a rubber blue ball,
sponge red ball and billiard black ball.
sponge red ball and billiard black ball.
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This is now possible.
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Let me show you.
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This is really the first time
this is shown live
this is shown live
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in front of a public grand audience,
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so hopefully this works.
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So what you see here
is an atlas of anatomy
is an atlas of anatomy
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and the robogami haptic interface.
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So, like all the other
reconfigurable robots,
reconfigurable robots,
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it multitasks.
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Not only is it going to serve as a mouse,
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but also a haptic interface.
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So for example, we have a white background
where there is no object.
where there is no object.
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That means there is nothing to feel,
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so we can have a very,
very flexible interface.
very flexible interface.
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Now, I use this as a mouse
to approach skin,
to approach skin,
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a muscular arm,
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so now let's feel his biceps,
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or shoulders.
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So now you see
how much stiffer it becomes.
how much stiffer it becomes.
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Let's explore even more.
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Let's approach the ribcage.
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And as soon as I move
on top of the ribcage
on top of the ribcage
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and between the intercostal muscles,
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which is softer and harder,
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I can feel the difference
of the stiffness.
of the stiffness.
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Take my word for it.
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So now you see, it's much stiffer
in terms of the force
in terms of the force
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it's giving back to my fingertip.
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So I showed you the surfaces
that aren't moving.
that aren't moving.
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How about if I were to approach
something that moves,
something that moves,
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for example, like a beating heart?
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What would I feel?
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(Applause)
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This can be your beating heart.
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This can actually be inside your pocket
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while you're shopping online.
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Now you'll be able to feel the difference
of the sweater that you're buying,
of the sweater that you're buying,
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how soft it is,
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if it's actually cashmere or not,
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or the bagel that you're trying to buy,
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how hard it is or how crispy it is.
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This is now possible.
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The robotics technology is advancing
to be more personalized and adaptive,
to be more personalized and adaptive,
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to adapt to our everyday needs.
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This unique specie
of reconfigurable robotics
of reconfigurable robotics
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is actually the platform to provide
this invisible, intuitive interface
this invisible, intuitive interface
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to meet our exact needs.
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These robots will no longer look like
the characters from the movies.
the characters from the movies.
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Instead, they will be whatever
you want them to be.
you want them to be.
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Thank you.
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(Applause)
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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Jamie Paik - RoboticianSoft robotics expert Jamie Paik designs "robogamis" -- folding robots inspired by origami that are more adaptable than classical robots.
Why you should listen
As director and founder of Reconfigurable Robotics Lab (RRL), Jamie Paik taps a deep knowledge of fabrication and unique actuation solutions to create astonishing folding robots -- or, as she describes them: "robogamis. These self-morphing robotic origami transform their planar shapes to 2D or 3D by folding in predefined patterns and sequences, just like the paper art, origami.
Paik is an active promoter of soft robotics that combines multi-discipline engineering expertise. Her soft robots have commercial applications, including a robotic surgical tool and a haptic joystick that can render realistic force feedback beneath a user's fingertip.
Jamie Paik | Speaker | TED.com