Mobee, or Monolithic Bee, is a pop-up robot fabrication project of the Harvard Microrobotics Lab. Using Printed Circuit MEMS (Microelectromechanical systems), a single piece of material (thus its ‘monolithic’ nomenclature) can be folded and locked into a 3-dimensional structure, similar to a pop-up book or piece of origami. Five layers of carbon fiber, two layers of plastic, two brass layers, one layer of titanium, and eight layers of adhesive are heat-pressed together to form an 18-layer laminate, while two piezoelectric ceramic inserts will provide mechanical function. After being laser-cut, the laminate can be popped up and assembled in one motion, allowing for rapid fabrication of many robots! The robot’s locking joints are soldered together, allowing it to be easily removed from the sprue for mechanization. Watch the video below for plenty of jaw-dropping awesomeness, and for more in-depth reading on this technology, I recommend reading “Pop-up book MEMS” (PDF) by the makers of Mobee.