A scalable warehouse robot using Kresling origami folds to expand and contract for different load sizes — built for smaller-scale warehouse environments.
Warehouse tools such as forklifts require human control and involvement, increasing the risk of injury. Additionally, these machines are designed to handle standardized pallets, limiting smaller-scale warehouses and increasing the use of manual labor, leading to more injuries. We present A.T.R.O.E (Adaptive Transport Robot with Origami Expansion), a robotic platform that uses origami and control systems to create a size-adaptive lifting system capable of autonomously lifting standard and irregular objects over 2x its own weight. Further testing combining gathered and simulated data revealed a proof-of-concept 5kg lifted weight from 3.4kg robot with optimal performance at lifting angle of 15°-30°. Results indicate that the system is scalable with a power source scaling as necessary, validating origami-based expansion and contraction as a low-cost alternative to traditional warehouse transport equipment.