MORE | Spring 2025

Low-Cost Origami-Inspired Robot for Adaptive Navigation Using a Flexible Spine in Constrained Environments

Traditional robots often struggle with navigating through constrained spaces and taking sharp turns, limiting their efficiency in complex and cluttered environments. This challenge arises from their rigid structures and limited flexibility, which hinder their ability to adapt to tight and dynamic spaces. To address this issue, we propose an origami-inspired novel quadruped design with a spine modeled after feline biomechanics. Our robot features a flexible spine comprising 20 vertebrae, each controlled by tensioned strings that enable fluid, agile movements. This design allows the robot to bend, twist, and maneuver with remarkable dexterity, closely mimicking the adaptive locomotion of cats. By enhancing the robot’s ability to take sharp turns and navigate through confined areas, this approach opens new possibilities for search-and-rescue operations, exploratory robotics, and applications in environments where traditional robots fall short. The combination of biological inspiration and mechanical innovation presented here demonstrates the potential for improved adaptability and efficiency in robotic systems.