Origami-Inspired Underwater Trap to Study Marine Creatures | 25 Jul 2018

Researchers have developed an origami-inspired sampler, named Rotary Actuated Dodecahedron (RAD) that uses folding polyhedral sides that can trap deep-sea soft creatures without causing them any harm.

Key Highlights

• Studying soft-bodied deep sea creatures like jellyfish and squid has been a difficult task for marine biologists as existing underwater tools cause damage or even kill them.
• Origami, the Japanese art of folding, was used as an inspiration to develop Rotary Actuated Dodecahedron (RAD).
• It can be attached to any remotely operated vehicle (ROV) that uses cameras to position the sampler near a sea creature of interest and to entrap it.
• The device can be modified to withstand higher pressures at increasing depths in the ocean.