While technology has for the most part completely integrated itself into our daily lives, robots have not for many reasons. Robots are complicated, expensive, and require great expertise to design, but if all of those could be eliminated, there could be an increase in robots seen in everyday life. By designing paper robots inspired by origami, the cost of making robots can be greatly diminished. And by developing a program, RoCo, that allows the average person to easily design their own robots, the complexity and need for expertise can be eliminated or at least lessened. The system can compile the user’s ideas and output a design for the robot that can be easily made by printing body layout to made into the body by folding. In looking for an application of the printable robot we decided to start by focusing on one design in particular, a two wheeled race car bot.
In using paper as the body of the robot, the cost to make this robot is extremely low. And while some of the folding was difficult to manage, it was certainly not impossible. This cost effectiveness and doability lead us to focus on using the printable robot as a tool for education. The plan is to first come up with a set of instructions for building the robot that is simple enough for anyone middle school aged, about 12, and up to understand. From there, we will come up with bigger picture lessons to teach the students more about how the robot actually functions and why certain aspects need to be the way they are. The end goal for these is instructions is to have an easy to distribute complete kit that has all the instructions with the lessons incorporated and all the parts needed to build the robot. Introducing young students to robotics and technology is extremely important, and these kits will hopefully be a fun way to do just that.