Background

TWISTER

The Twister is a 3D printed robotic arm design which uses cables and gravity for actuation.

Visit https://art.engr.tamu.edu/ for more info.

TWISTER hand

The Twister hand, an ongoing research venture, is a development of the Twister resulting in an under-actuated robotic gripper.

Visit https://art.engr.tamu.edu/ for more info.

Ori-arm module

The current development which this project addresses

Previously developed by Dr. Kiju Lee, the first iterations of the Origami twisting tower design was inspired by a classic origami designed by Mihoko Tachibana. This tower origami can twist to contract flat, but can also flex in directions normal to its axial direction.

Dr. Lee developed a PolyJet 3D printed design using soft and rigid materials. This design could flex in the same ways that the origami could and allowed further development of the design and its applications. Unfortunately these 3D printed materials, while convenient for such a flexible design, are not durable enough for much more than demonstrations and light objects. The Ori-Arm modules being developed in this project are intended to address this and allow real-world testing outside of a lab.