News by Levels · Level 1 · Student worksheet

A Folding Robot Can Crawl and Jump

In this lesson: Identify how the robot moves and how its body changes.

Name: __________________________ Date: __________________

Read the story

Researchers have made a small robot with a folded body. Magnetic forces can make it crawl, turn, jump and roll. It can also catch objects.

The body can stay in two different shapes. A strong magnetic push can switch it from one shape to the other.

The team reported its tests on November 6. The design uses folds to help control the robot’s movements.

Source: Huang and colleagues / Nature Communications; adapted under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), 2026-11-06. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-79010-w

Read and practise

1. What can make the robot crawl, turn, jump and roll?

   1. Magnetic forces
   2. Moving water
   3. Air blown through tubes

2. What can a strong magnetic push do to the body?

   1. Keep it in only one shape
   2. Switch it between two shapes
   3. Add a third permanent shape

Your turn

Name two ways the robot can move and one other thing it can do.

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Read online: https://newsbylevels.com/news/folding-origami-robot-magnetic-motion-november-2026/level-1/