Tiny Robotic Bee Assembles Itself Like Pop-Up Book

[RickJ]

This is article on Wired.com is very interesting and the video is absolutely amazing.

Harvard University engineers have come up with a production technique inspired by pop-up books and origami, that allows clones of tiny robots to be mass-produced in sheets.

http://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2012/02/robotic-bee/?utm_source=Contextly&utm_medium=RelatedLinks&utm_campaign=MoreRecently

[straydogstrut]

That's very cool. I've seen videos of self assembling robots like chairs etc but the flat-packed printing of these is very promising

[Baron]

Fascinating.... and yet terrifying at the same time.  At least they haven't designed them with a stinger..... yet.

[RickJ]

At least they haven't designed them with a stinger..... yet.

Think of the military applications ...  Hehe I can just see a swarm of these beasties chasing the Taliban ...

[Baron]

TALIBAN NERD: Look at this thing, it's so cool!  See how it works like a pop-up?

TALIBAN ENFORCER: The infidel commits blasphemy by imitating nature.  He must be destroyed!

TALIBAN NERD: We say that about everything the infidel does.  But seriously, check this out!  Even the stinger pops-up!

TALIBAN ENFORCER: A jihad upon those.....er.....

TALIBAN NERD: Microbiotic engineers?

TALIBAN ENFORCER:  No.  Those infidels!

TALIBAN NERD: Hey look, more of them!  See how they swarm, just like in nature?  Fascinating....

TALIBAN ENFORCER: God is most displeased at this incursion into His domain.  I relish the seventy virgins I will win in heaven through my martyrdom in a holy-war against this ungodly pop-uppery!

TALIBAN NERD: Hmmmm.  They seem to be massing around us.  I'm just going to-

**HYSTERICAL SCREAMING SOUNDS**

TALIBAN ENFORCER: No!  The virgins are useless to me now!!!!  Arrrrrgghghghghghh!!111!!!!!!

-END TRANSMISSION-