Soft robotics expert Jamie Paik designs "robogamis" — folding robots inspired by origami that are more adaptable than classical robots.

Why you should listen

As director and founder of Reconfigurable Robotics Lab (RRL), Jamie Paik taps a deep knowledge of fabrication and unique actuation solutions to create astonishing folding robots -- or, as she describes them: "robogamis. These self-morphing robotic origami transform their planar shapes to 2D or 3D by folding in predefined patterns and sequences, just like the paper art, origami.

Paik is an active promoter of soft robotics that combines multi-discipline engineering expertise. Her soft robots have commercial applications, including a robotic surgical tool and a haptic joystick that can render realistic force feedback beneath a user's fingertip.

Jamie Paik’s TED talk