They want to use micro-fliers to deploy environmental sensors, using origami to help control the landing.
"Using origami opens up a new design space for microfliers," said coauthor Vikram Iyer of the University of Washington. "We combine the Miura-ori fold, which is inspired by geometric patterns found in leaves, with power harvesting and tiny actuators to allow our fliers to mimic the flight of different leaf types in mid-air. In its unfolded flat state, our origami structure tumbles chaotically in the wind, similar to an elm leaf. But switching to the folded state changes the airflow around it and enables a stable descent, similarly to how a maple leaf falls. This highly energy efficient method allows us to have battery-free control over microflier descent, which was not possible before."
https://arstechnica.com/science/2023/09/these-solar-powered-origami-inspired-robots-can-change-shape-mid-flight/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social
