Princeton engineers build origami robot that rolls, crawls without motors

Technology Sep 22, 2026

Princeton engineers have built a quirky little robot inspired by the way ketchup bottle caps snap open and shut.

Using curved-crease origami, their robot can roll and crawl just by switching its shape, no motors needed.

The study was published on June 15, 2026.

'Pseudocrease' locks shapes with magnets

Instead of relying on clunky parts, the team discovered something called a "pseudocrease," a natural fold that lets the robot lock into different shapes using magnets.

This means future robots could have applications in reconfigurable structures, deployable architecture, small mechanical devices, and robotics.