  Origami-inspired robots with multiple advantages, such as being lightweight,
requiring less assembly, and exhibiting exceptional deformability, have
received substantial and sustained attention. However, the existing
origami-inspired robots are usually of limited functionalities and developing
feature-rich robots is very challenging. Here, we report an origami-wheeled
robot (OriWheelBot) with variable width and outstanding sand walking
versatility. The OriWheelBot's ability to adjust wheel width over obstacles is
achieved by origami wheels made of Miura origami. An improved version, called
iOriWheelBot, is also developed to automatically judge the width of the
obstacles. Three actions, namely direct pass, variable width pass, and direct
return, will be carried out depending on the width of the channel between the
obstacles. We have identified two motion mechanisms, i.e., sand-digging and
sand-pushing, with the latter being more conducive to walking on the sand. We
have systematically examined numerous sand walking characteristics, including
carrying loads, climbing a slope, walking on a slope, and navigating sand pits,
small rocks, and sand traps. The OriWheelBot can change its width by 40%, has a
loading-carrying ratio of 66.7% on flat sand and can climb a 17-degree sand
incline. The OriWheelBot can be useful for planetary subsurface exploration and
disaster area rescue.
