Hardware Podcasts

Episode 153: Origami-inspired robots - Chenying Liu

Robot Talk · 24 Apr 2026 · 20m · Episode 153

What this episode covers

Chenying Liu, a Junior Research Fellow at the University of Oxford, explains how embedding intelligence into robot bodies through geometry and materials enhances autonomy. She details the design of an origami-inspired robotic gripper that uses mechanical bifurcation to achieve eight grasping modes with only two motors, and discusses a reconfigurable millipede robot for disaster rescue. Liu also explores unconventional materials, including inflatable fabrics for wearables and living muscle cells to power hybrid robots, aiming to reduce computational load and increase resilience.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
University of Oxford
Products
millipede robot, robotic gripper
Also
robotalk.org

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • The Next Byte Podcast · 21m

    133. Mighty Morphing All Terrain Robots Made By Nature

    Hosts Daniel and Forbode discuss the M4, a bio-inspired multimodal robot developed by Caltech and NASA JPL that can fly, roll, walk, and tumble using eight different modes of locomotion. They highlight how the robot's AI autonomously selects the best traversal method based on terrain, drawing inspiration from nature such as birds and sea lions. The episode also covers Jonathan Schultz of Team Huge, whose BattleBots design philosophy of accessible core components parallels the M4's adaptive engineering, while exploring applications in space exploration, emergency rescue, and last-mile delivery.

    Robotics & autonomyAI & machine learning
    6 chapters

  • The Next Byte Podcast · 22m

    35. The Feisty Crustacean That Inspired A New Generation of Super Robots

    Hosts Daniel Scott Mitchell and Farbod Moghaddam discuss biomimicry in robotics, starting with a Harvard team's creation of a 1.5-gram robotic actuator that mimics the mantis shrimp's two-latch mechanism to achieve 60 mph acceleration. They then cover research from Carnegie Mellon University's Biohybrid Organic Robotics Group (BORG), led by Professor Victoria Webster Wood, where PhD student Wen Huan developed tunable collagen tendons using electrocompaction and AI to create biodegradable, biohybrid robots for environmental safety.

    Robotics & autonomyMaterials & manufacturing processes
    6 chapters

  • The Next Byte Podcast · 25m

    53. Mind-Control and Bug-Like Robots

    Daniel Farbod and Daniel discuss brain-computer interfaces from EPFL, explaining how inverse reinforcement learning allows users to control robotic arms with just 3-5 iterations by providing error signals rather than direct control commands. They then cover MIT's development of soft, bio-inspired artificial muscles for bug-sized robots, which use layered electrodes and elastic materials to achieve flight times over 20 seconds for robots under one gram, addressing durability and power constraints of traditional rigid actuators.

    Embedded firmwareRobotics & autonomy
    5 chapters

  • The Next Byte Podcast · 23m

    75. Size Matters: Tiny Biomimicry Leads to Big Breakthroughs

    Hosts Daniel and Forbode discuss biomimicry breakthroughs from the University of Washington and Harvard, focusing on dandelion-inspired sensors and microscale robotic cilia. The University of Washington team created 24-milligram solar-powered sensors using Microchip's A20 Tiny processor and Kapton parachutes to deploy environmental monitoring networks via drones. Meanwhile, Harvard researchers developed self-propelled cilia from photo-responsive liquid crystal elastomers, enabling complex, programmable motion for applications in drug delivery and physical encryption.

    Prototyping & iterationSensors & measurement in products
    8 chapters

  • The Next Byte Podcast · 25m

    49. What Robots Can Learn from Starfish and Falcons

    Hosts Daniel and Forbode discuss biomimicry in robotics, starting with a video of Grant Imahara visiting Carnegie Mellon University to explore bio-inspired robots like the snake robot. They then detail a starfish larva-inspired micro-robot developed at ETH Zurich that uses ultrasonic waves for targeted drug delivery, and a Peregrine Falcon-inspired drone landing system called 'Snag' developed by Stanford graduates at the University of Groningen.

    Robotics & autonomyPrototyping & iteration
    4 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by Robot Talk. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.