CAROLINA BEACH, N.C. — New shape-shifting ‘Transformer bots’ have been inspired by origami.

The versatile robots could transform space travel, say scientists.

Taking inspiration from the ancient Japanese art of paper-folding, American engineers discovered a way to make a single plastic cubed structure transform into more than 1,000 configurations – using just three active motors.

They say their findings, published in the journal Nature Communications, could pave the way for shape-shifting artificial systems that can take on multiple functions and even carry a load, such as versatile robotic structures used in space.

“The question we’re asking is how to achieve several versatile shapes with the fewest number of actuators powering the shapeshifting,” said Professor Jie Yin, a corresponding author.

“Here we use a hierarchical concept observed in nature – like layered muscle fibers – but with plastic cubes to create a transforming robot.”

The North Carolina State University research team put together hollow, plastic cubes using a 3D printer.

They assembled 36 of them with rotating hinges; some hinges were fixed with metal pins, while others were activated wirelessly with a motor.

The team was able to move the cubes into more than 1,000 shapes using only three active motors.

The shapes included tunnel-like structures, bridge-like structures, and even multi-story architectures.

The untethered transformer bots can move forward, backward, and sideways – without feet – merely by controlling the ways the structure’s shape changes.

The bots can also transform relatively quickly from flat, or fully open, to a box-like larger cube, or fully closed.

The bots also can carry a load of about three times their weight, according to the research team.

And they are attempting to make the transformer bots even better.

“We want to make a more robust structure that can bear larger loads,” said Dr. Yanbin Li, a co-author.

“If we want a car shape, for example, how do we design the first structure that can transform into a car shape?

“We also want to test our structures with real-world applications like space robots,” he added.

Co-first author Dr. Antonio Di Lallo said: “We think these can be used as deployable, configurable space robots and habitats.

“It’s modular, so you can send it to space flat and assemble it as a shelter or as a habitat, and then disassemble it.”

Yin added: “For users, it needs to be easy to assemble and to control.”

Produced in association with SWNS Talker