Alas, these printable robots can't feel your pain, spy on you, or do the nasty, but you can print them from your own inkjet printer.
The first printed robot may more resemble a paper origami insect than an octopus. It would operate as a digital ugoku (moving) origami capable of locomotion under its own power and even performing preprogrammed physical tasks.
Advertisement
This works by embedding tiny circuits onto the paper, so that the "devices will integrate structural, mechanical and electronic components during fabrication using an all-inkjet printing process". Maybe someday we'll be able to print out a device that will be able to, in turn, print out another copy.
Printable Robots [OhmyNews via Neatorama]