ai

51

Inspiration

Cassina Taliesin Chair by Frank Lloyd Wright

Originally designed in 1949, Cassina revived Frank Lloyd
Wright’s Taliesin chair just last fall. And for good
reason—its complex geometry and eye-pleasing angles have
long made it a pleasure to sit in. Not to mention its
construction, which is origami in the literal sense—each
is made from a single piece of plywood, and “folded” á la
the Japanese techniques of old.

Roric Tobin Designs Crane Chair

Roric Tobin’s chair, meanwhile, was inspired by a chance
encounter at a New York City boutique. “I was walking my dog,
and I saw this store that had a bunch of [cranes] hanging. I
was struck by how they they sort of looked like a chair,” the
designer tells Robb Report. “I came back to the office, and
my team and I got some origami paper and started making the
crane.” In light of the original’s success, the studio has
issued an outdoor version made of teak.

52

Nada Debs Origami Trolley

When it comes to design, most trolleys and
bar carts are fairly rudimentary beasts.
Le ba nese desig ner Nad a D e bs, however,
thought to put a modern spin on the old
favorite by incorporating the boxy angles
and points of folded paper. The result is a
steel-and-walnut fixture with a customizable
color palette.

Moooi Perch Light Branch by Umut Yamac

Dutch furniture and interior company Moooi takes
sculptural lighting to the next level with its Perch
Collection, which is modeled after paper birds. Table
lamps and chandeliers come with one, two or a troupe of
these not-so-feathered friends—but we’re partial to this
five-bird branch.

Sawaya & Moroni Mew Low Table
by Zaha Hadid Design

Late architect Zaha Hadid wasn’t known for
her curvaceous structures alone—a few of
her designs and that of her studio’s come to
a point, the Mew low table among them. The
piece’s converging surfaces and curves are a
more fluid origami than the above, perhaps,
and represent a Hadidian take on the beloved
Japanese craft.

53

Inspiration
54

Inspiration

transforming
Architectures
inspired by Origami

Francisco López Jiménez Pedro M. Reis Joel Marthelot

Paper folding is found across cultures al. (1) borrow well-established tools from
for both aesthetic and functional structural mechanics that are com monly
purposes, with its most widely recognized used in civil and mechanical engineering
exponent being the ancient art form of and port them to this new emerging field of
origa mi. More recently, there has been origami-inspired design.
an upsurge of interest for translating
origami designs into mathematics, natural Much of the recent research inspired
sciences, engineering, and architecture. by origa mi spans across fields, from
Across these different fields, origami is mathematics, physics, and computer science
becoming a fountain of inspiration for to materials engineering, biotechnology,
new reconfigurable and multifunctional aerospace, and architecture. In mathematics
materials and structures. However, the use and computational origami, the kinematics
of origami designs as engineering elements is usually simplified by considering rigid
is ty pically compromised by limitations panels (also k now n as rigid folda ble
in structural performance. A new study by origa mi), with a focus on geometry and
Filipov et al. (1) presents an innovative topological considerations (3–5). There is
approach for the design of strikingly rigid a substantial body of literature in this
deploya ble str uctures. Their strateg y domain (6) and powerful simulations tools
is based on tubular building blocks, have been developed to produce remarkably
which are themselves built on Miura- complex crease patterns for origami (7).
ori; a regular folding pattern that maps A drawback of these approaches is that
a flat sheet into a one degree-of-freedom they tend to exclude considerations on
deployable structure (2). Two neighboring mechanical properties, which are required
Miura tubes can be set in a zig-zag if we are to predict the mechanical
(“zipp er”) arra nge m ent; toget her, t he response of origami structures. With the
pair is remarkably stiff and effectively goal of rationalizing the coupling of
possesses a single degree of freedom by the mechanics and geometry of origa mi,
resisting other bending and twisting modes. the physics and mechanics com munities
These zipper tubes can then be combined has stormed the field with great interest.
to generate other structures, including The epicenter of the activity is on
more complex tubular systems and cellular configurations based on the Miura-ori
assemblies. In Fig. 1 A and B, we present patter n a nd revolves pri m arily arou nd
two particular examples from their study: issues related to the strong geometrically
a model bridge with load-bearing capacity nonlinear behavior with multistability
and an architectural canopy that can be (8), tunable metamaterials (9), and self-
deployed to cover a wide span. Filipov et assembled structures at different scales

55

Inspiration The work of

(10). On the robotics and Filipov et
fabrication front, there
have also been significant al. suggests
advances in programmable
f o l d a b l e s h e e t s (1 1), " feasible
pri nt a ble self-fold a ble engineering
r o b o t s (1 2), a n d s e l f-
folding microstructures designs that are
and nanostructures (13), to
mention just a few examples. inspired by origami,

Starting from a structural w ith simulta neous
mechanics view point,
Filip ov et al. (1) b ase deployable and
their study on techniques
originally d evelop ed for load-bearing
frame structures (14) that
have been adapted to study ch a r acteristics ."
the mechanics of foldable
structures by relaxing the 9, 16). The sawtooth roof diaphragm, as well as
condition of rigidity of superior natural light and ventilation conditions
the planar faces (15). Here, in their interior.
origami was modeled as a
pin-jointed truss structure T h ird, tr uly origa m i-i ns pire d str uctu res a re
and each fold represented fully deployable with folding patterns that are
by a bar element, jointed derived from origami (in contrast to other deployable
at the vertices. Including strategies, such as scissor mechanisms). These structures
additional bars to are typically built with rigid elements connected by
triangulate the faces mechanical components (hinges and joints), the simplest
prevents the existence of example of which is the regular door. (Self-)foldable
trivial internal mechanisms devices at the microscale and nanoscale (13) tend to
and provides a means to follow this strategy and comprise relatively simple
approximate the bending networks of plates and hinges, albeit powerful and
stiffness of the faces. The versatile. One major advantage of these designs is that
compatibility and stiffness they can be built of a simple piece of material. At
matrices of this truss the large scale, origami-inspired structures have been
frame yield the mechanical explored less but offer tremendous opportunities that
response of the origami are yet to be fully leveraged. Two recent inspiring
structure. examples are the Rolling Bridge at the Paddington Basin
in London, United Kingdom (Fig. 1D), and the deployable
Efforts in connecting curtain wall of the Al Bahr Towers in Abu Dhabi, United
origami and engineering Arab Emirates, for on-demand tunable shading of sunlight
m ay b e m ore t horoughly (Fig. 1E). Origami-inspired structures obey kinematics
categorized under three similar to that of traditional origami but are also
classes of origami-inspired fundamentally different in that they are typically not
str uctu res: (i) origa m i- made of a continuous piece of material. Moreover, their
lo ok i ng, (ii) orig a m i- relatively low rigidity has limited their widespread use
shaped, and (iii) deployable as structural elements.
(that use origami patterns).
We proceed by providing T he work of Filip ov et al. (1) suggests feasi ble
examples in the context engineering designs that are inspired by origami, with
of civil engineering simultaneous deployable and load-bearing characteristics.
and architecture. First, Starting from the well-known Miura-ori, the authors have
origami-looking structures, devised foldable tubes that can be used as a modular
such as the curtain walls structural element. It is important to highlight that
of some buildings (Fig. 1C),
are static and lightweight,
and resemble origami
geo m etries, m erely for
aesthetic purposes. Second,
origa mi-shaped structures
make use of controlled
folds to achieve enhanced
and sometimes tunable
mechanical properties (8,

56

these tubes are made modes up to two orders of gap can be exploited for
of continuous sheets of magnitude stiffer than the structures that deploy or
m aterial. Following a n deploy ment mode. Having in static config urations.
approach similar to that identified and characterized A hybrid approach may also
i n ref. 15 for t heir the zipper-coupled tube as be followed such that the
new designs, the study a base unit, the authors structure is deployed up
demonstrates how assembling then apply it to a variety to a target point, until
these tubular designs in a of designs of cellular t h e syste m self-lo ck s
zig-zag (“zipper”) manner structures that can sustain with superior mechanical
significantly increases the significant mechanical properties compared with
rigidity of all deformation loading. A bar hinge model those of the deployment
modes, except the one for is derived and contrasted stage.
deployment. As a result of against finite element
an eigenvalue analysis, they simulations, with excellent Structural origa mi, such
rationalize the enhanced agreement, and some of the as the examples studied
stiffness of their tubular designs are instantiated b y F i l i p o v e t a l. (1),
structures by a robust band by analog physical models are bound to lead to
gap that is continuous over m ade out of paper. Three innovative meta materials
the whole extension phase. of the elegant examples and structures with
This improved mechanical considered include (i) the unprecedented functional
performance arises from the zipper-coupled tube that and mechanical properties,
difference between bending can be deployed with a across scales. This may be
versus stretching energies single degree of freedom the straw that will break
of the folds and plates, as through actuation from one the door for load-bearing
well as the high moment of of the boundaries, (ii) a ap plic ations of orig a m i-
inertia of the underlying bridge-like structure (Fig. inspired designs and unfold
tu bular build ing blocks. 1A), and (iii) a deployable their use in architecture
Together, these effects can architectural canopy (Fig. and civil engineering.
make the other deformation 1 B). T h e i nt r i n sic b a n d

57

Inspiration

How Origami Is
Revolutionizing
Ind ustr ia l
Design

Scientists and engineers are finding practical applications for the Japanese
art form in space, medicine, robotics, architecture and more.

Jim Morrison

When Anton Willis moved into his San While we think of origami as art, it
Francisco apartment, he had a space increasingly is being used by companies and
problem: no room for his beloved kayak. researchers in space, medicine, robotics,
He'd grown up paddling the Pacific architecture, public safety and the military to

and local waters in Mendocino County. solve vexing design problems, often to fit big

Retrieving it from storage was an inconvenience he was things into small spaces. The American Society

determined to solve. of Mechanical Engineers now includes origami

in its annual conferences. So has the American

He found inspiration in a 2007 New Yorker story about Mathematical Society.
Robert Lang, a NASA physicist who had become a full-
time origami artist in 2001. Lang applied his math At the center of that transformation is a small
background to transport the art of folding into new number of scientists and engineers championing
frontiers, creating pieces never before possible. He was the practical applications of the Japanese art.
beginning to explore practical possibilities like containers,Foremost among them is Lang, a passionate
medical implants and air bags. proselytizer for the art and the science of
origami. He earned a bachelor's degree at
"I starting thinking about if I could fold up a kayak like Caltech and a master's degree at Stanford
a piece of paper," says Willis, who had recently completed University, both in electrical engineering,
his master's degree in architecture from the University of before finishing a Ph.D. in applied physics
California at Berkeley. at Caltech. He folded throughout as a way to
relax, designing mostly bugs and animals—a
He'd done a little origami as a child, but nothing hermit crab, a mouse in a mousetrap, an ant.
sophisticated. He started folding one model after another, Some took him weeks to design and hours to
fooling around on weekends. Making a kayak shape was fold. Shortly after he began working at NASA's
relatively easy, but a second set of folds to transform the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in 1988 (Lang has
single sheet of material into a box small enough to carry published more than 80 papers and has 50
in an oversized backpack proved difficult. Two years and patents), he folded a life-size cuckoo clock.
more than 25 designs later, he had a working prototype
that launched Oru Kayak, a California company, and In 2001, he left his then-job at the fiber-optics
wowed the panel on “Shark Tank.” Oru, where Willis company JDS Uniphase to focus on his art.
is the chief design officer, now sells four models of He wrote a paper outlining an algorithm for
folding kayaks. One of them is even in the San Francisco origami design. More papers followed. He has
written books, whimsical and serious, and
HowMuseumofModernArt. computer programs with names like TreeMaker

58

59

and Tessellatica that take simple
stick figure models and create crease
patterns. One paper caught the
eye of engineers at the Lawrence
Livermore National Laboratory who
were working on a telescope lens they
needed to fold for its journey into
space. He helped design a prototype
lens the size of a football field for
the Eyeglass, which would have
stretched to the size of Manhattan
had the project been funded. He also
consulted on a similar design with
the Jet Propulsion Laboratory called
Starshade, an immense, folding iris
that would block light from distant
stars to improve the capability of a
space telescope.

These days, Lang divides his time
between art and consulting on a wide
variety of projects with corporate
and academic partners. "Every good
scientist is, in part, an artist," he
says.

Lang’s research papers attracted

Larry L. Howell, an engineering

professor and researcher at Brigham

Young University, after a doctoral

student suggested looking into

origami to create engineering

solutions. "We realized there were

a lot of things we could learn from

these origami artists that could help

us doing engineering in ways we

would not have discovered using our

traditional approaches," he says. t

They’ve collaborated on a number
of projects. Howell admits he was
cautious at first, especially when
applying for federal funding. He
had visions of a senator asking why
federal research money was going
to origami, something his 10-year-
old grandchild knew how to do.

R e v o l uOneoftheinitialprojectsfunded
oriceps, tiny surgical grabbers based design origami fairings for the front
on an origami idea called chompers. of locomotives that fold up when the
They created a retractor to push cars are linked, but deploy when

by the National Science Foundation aside an organ during robotic surgery they're in front, making them more

was designing a solar array that that can be inserted through a tiny aerodynamic. The fairings save a

compacted to 9 feet during launch, incision and then deployed inside the million dollars a year in fuel costs,

but deployed to 82 feet across in body. Intuitive Surgical, the company Howell says. And they've designed

space to generate power. That that makes the da Vinci Surgical a better fitting adult diaper using

provided credibility for origami in Systems, licensed their patents. origami.

high-tech design. More projects—and

more research papers—followed. After talking with officials at Lang says a number of researchers

the Homeland Security Agency, were doing similar work

Howell and his student researchers Howell’s team worked with Lang independently. "Although I didn't

have dived into medicine, where and designed a foldable Kevlar shield know about it at the time, there had

using origami to create compact that protects two or three people. A been other people tinkering with

devices is particularly useful in licensing deal is in negotiation. They math, origami and technology," he

robotic surgery. They invented the consulted with a railroad company to says. "I think it was not so much that

60

Inspiration

one person launched this field, but
that we kind of reached a critical

t i o n i z i n gmassofideasandpeoplewith
"origamist in chief." He wrote his fundamentally change their shape,”
doctoral thesis on the use of origami he told a PBS interviewer. “Folding
in space superstructures. gives you a way to think about shape

mathematical backgrounds getting transformation.”

involved and you had the field Erik Demaine, a professor

blossom." in computer science at the Lang thinks the appeal goes beyond

Massachusetts Institute of function. "There is an aesthetic

A Harvard roboticist used origami Technology and the son of a sculptor, elegance to origami solutions

to design a grabber for catching is following Lang’s path, pursing to problems that's a little bit

soft-bodied deep-sea creatures like origami art and research. He earned unexpected and a little bit beautiful,"

jellyfish without harming them. a MacArthur “genius” grant he concludes. "When you see a

Oxford University researchers for his research about folding and deployable structure like a solar

developed a heart stent that works bending. “In the last few years, array unfold with all these panels

using the traditional origami concept there's been a lot more excitement moving in different directions and

of a water bomb. Manan Arya, about the engineering and science then suddenly it's expanded in a

an engineer at the Jet Propulsion applications of origami, that you way that didn't look possible, that

Laboratory, has the nickname can make practical structures that captures peoples' imaginations."

61

62

63

Origami

64