How do you deploy an environmental sensor to collect climate change readings over a prolonged period on an uninhabited island without failing? How do you power a seismic detector to operate for months in an underwater cave?
In environments that are difficult to reach because of the hazards or hardships for humans, a device behaving like a native plant could be the answer.
This is the approach taken by Suyi Li, associate professor in mechanical engineering at Virginia Tech, and Clemson professor and collaborator Ian Walker. Their work is being advanced thanks to a four-year, $840,000 grant from the National Science Foundation. [Read more…] about Origami-inspired robotic plants grow with their environment