Origami-based construction method yields lightweight, load-bearing structures on architectural scales
The modular approach could be used to erect emergency shelters or fabricate aerospace components more quickly and with less material than some techniques.
MIT researchers have developed a new origami-based construction method that could lead to lightweight, load-bearing structures on architectural scales. The technique simplifies the process of designing and assembling complex structures using modular components made from flat sheets of material. These units are then folded into shape and connected using simple tools to form a larger lattice structure.
The resulting structures are stiff, light-weight, and don't require interior support columns, making them ideal for disaster relief shelters, airplanes, modular robots, and architectural elements like sound-dampening panels and building facades. The researchers' technique generates structures that are many times stiffer than those made using other forms of structural origami while using only about two-thirds as much material.
A room-sized folded aluminum sculpture, fabricated using this method, was recently displayed at the Boston Public Library. The work demonstrates how digital manufacturing can enhance the design of large structures beyond personal fabrication projects.
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