Moisture-driven actuators, Seoul National University, Korea

Filmed on iPhone 5 using TimeLapse app. It took about 2 hours for the pine cones to close and about 8 hours for them to even start opening. The clip I used in the second part of this is a 4.5 hour period during the drying process. I put one in a wine glass to see if it would open inside and get stuck - but the glass made it dry slower and it didn't open much at all.

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To generate motion, plants and some seeds harness the supply or deprival of water from tissues. Scientists mimicked the process, making a tiny plant-inspired robot that moves via changes in humidity. In the future, medical robots powered by humidity could disinfect wounds, remove skin wrinkles, and nourish skin tissues.

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