Origami-making robot

[Doctor Q]

Most robots are thick-fisted ham-handed brutes, but Devin Balkcom, a doctoral student at the Carnegie Mellon Robotics Institute, has built a robot that can fold origami.

Movies: making a paper airplane (3MB), making a hat (8MB)

News stories: CMU, sciencedaily, msnbc

Details at Devin's home page: http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/~devin/

 

[etoiles]

yes, but can it make a swan ?

Humans will always be better at origami than machines, just like they will always beat a computer at chess. Oh, wait, never mind...

 

[wdlove]

A nice find Doctor Q. The doctoral student ended up messing up the work of the robot with the hat.

While my wife was a student at Creighton University, we had a Japanese student stay with us. The females in his group made Origami. They gave a lot of them to us as a gift. We still have them.

 

[Doctor Q]

I like Origami. The problem is what to do with my completed creations. I have frogs, swans, boxes, hats, flower-looking things, and some stars. A friend of mine, who is very serious about Origami, folds every day (no relation to folding@home), and goes to Origami conventions.

One year at the convention, he saw a masterpiece: a life-size grandfather clock, with every part, including each number on the dial, made with Origami. I couldn't find a photo of it, but I found a much simpler Origami clock that we can all make. And it's guaranteed to be accurate twice a day!

I wonder if anyone has developed a precise notation (not diagrams with English or Japanese commentary, as in conventional Origami instructions) to describe paper folds, in such a way that it could be used, akin to music notation, by either humans, computers, and robots? If not, somebody get to work on that!

 

[etoiles]

I have not had the chance to check it out yet, but there is an origami exhibition at the Mingei museum in San Diego (Balboa Park).

A bit of a drive from LA and beyond, but hey, there is worse places to drive to than San Diego

 

[wdlove]

I like Origami. The problem is what to do with my completed creations. I have frogs, swans, boxes, hats, flower-looking things, and some stars. A friend of mine, who is very serious about Origami, folds every day (no relation to folding@home), and goes to Origami conventions.

How about posting some pictures of your completed Origami creations? I would love to see them!

 

[voicegy]

[...]A bit of a drive from LA and beyond, but hey, there is worse places to drive to than San Diego

*ahem* <cough> <cough>

 

[Doctor Q]

I have not had the chance to check it out yet, but there is an origami exhibition at the Mingei museum in San Diego (Balboa Park).

Thanks, I see the description, which says "continues through Spring 2004", and the event schedule says "check back soon", so I can't tell if the exhibit is over already.

 

[voicegy]

Thanks, I see the description, which says "continues through Spring 2004", and the event schedule says "check back soon", so I can't tell if the exhibit is over already.

Well, for what it's worth, I called the "recording" (since it's not a toll call for me I thought I'd perform the favor) and it still mentions the exhibit -

TEL: 619 239 - 0003

Hours Tuesday - Sunday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm Closed Mondays and National Holidays

 

[Doctor Q]

Well, for what it's worth, I called the "recording"

Thanks a googol, voicegy. Sounds like it really is still on exhibit. I go to San Diego now and then (I went 5 days ago, in fact), and I will give them a call Tuesday to check how long the exhibit will be there.

 

[voicegy]

Great. If ya want, hit me up for a beer or a coffee, and I'll also arrange a tour of the SDCS District Mainframe room, and/or a behind the scenes peek at the world's largest and longest running Omnimax projector over at the Fleet Science Center. Such a nerd fest, eh what?

 

[Doctor Q]

OK, wdlove, you forced me to dust off my Origami collection.

Photo #1: Various creations I've made.
Photo #2: My best one - an owl.
Photo #3: Three beasts given to me by the friend I mention above.
Photo #4: His best one - Yoda, with coat, fingers, and a cane!
Photo #5: Flower pot made by his wife, who had to learn Origami in self defense (to keep up with her husband's hobby).

 

[wdlove]

Thank you Doctor Q, I hope that the dusting process wasn't to difficult! They are all very nice. My pick as the best is the flower done by your friend's wife. Sorry Doctor Q!