Battery-free origami microfliers from UW researchers offer a new bio-inspired future of flying machines

Researchers at the University of Washington developed small robotic devices that can change how they move through the air by "snapping" into a folded position during their descent. Shown here is a timelapse photo of the "microflier" falling in its unfolded state, which makes it tumble chaotically and spread outward in the wind. On a cool afternoon at the heart of the University of Washington's campus, autumn, for a few fleeting moments, appears to have arrived early. Tiny golden squares resembling leaves flutter then fall, switching from a frenzied tumble to a graceful descent with a snap. Aptly named "microfliers" and inspired by Miura-fold origami, these small robotic devices can fold closed during their descent after being dropped from a drone.