Bistable Helical Origami Gripper for Sensor Placement on Branches

Understanding forest functioning is limited by the scalability of monitoring solutions and difficulty access. Manual sensor placement can reach most locations but lacks scalability. Micro-aerial vehicles (MAVs) allow for scalable delivery, current are to attaching sensors trunk or large branches with spines adhesives. The thinner outer canopy remain inaccessible, despite being particular interest due important physiological processes occurring in foliage. Herein, a MAV-deployable bistable helically coiling origami gripper developed. unfurled state allows transport MAV, when pushed against branch triggers second coiled state, which permits secure attachment branches. Origami manufacturing keeps weight below 5 g, holding up 280 gripping diameters from 8 mm 38 inclined 30°. force, activation resistance tilt rotation offsets experimentally characterized. deployment retrieval demonstrated outside, where data collected previously inaccessible canopy. Enabling robust marks step toward environmental ecosystems.