A Shape-Shifting Sheet? Meet South Korea’s New Robot

Researchers at KAIST in South Korea have developed a revolutionary “robotic folding sheet”, a soft, paper-thin robot that can bend, grasp, and even crawl by creating programmable folds on demand.

The sheet is just 6.3 cm across and 0.25 mm thick, but packs 308 tiny metal resistors that act as both heaters and sensors. By heating specific spots on the sheet, the robot can reshape itself in real time, allowing for highly precise movements and transformations. Unlike origami-based robots that fold only along preset hinges, this robotic sheet can reconfigure its folds dynamically, offering far more flexibility.

The innovation allows the robot to interpret user input, wrap around objects, or push against surfaces to move autonomously. Researchers believe this could lead to groundbreaking uses in space exploration, adaptive robotic systems, or medical devices.

Its ability to generate motion without motors or wheels represents a new chapter in soft robotics, where material itself becomes the robot.