Tech: Pentagon robot changing form

Pentagon researchers created a small dimension robot which can change its shape thus pushing the technology closer to Transformers style design shifting objects. The robot has the shape of a 0.5 mm sheet, capable to fold itself into various forms such as boat or paper glider airplane. The new invention can be used in the future for developping full sized vehicles that morph themselves as they travel. The project started in 2007 under the supervision of Darpa (Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The sheet-shaped robot contains 25 actuator grouped into 5 blocks. A specific shape is created by triggering sequentially the corresponding actuator block.
Video morphing robot by Pentagon, Harvard and MIT.