The intersection of mathematics and origami has advanced a host of real-world science and technology applications, particularly in space.
For years, origamists’ efficient and elegant transformation of compact 2D sheets into elaborate 3D shapes has been a source of inspiration for the design of diverse devices and products, not least vehicle airbags, takeaway and mailboxes, and various collapsible everyday items, from chairs to colanders. All these items share one common property: They need to go from being a compact structure to a large one (or vice versa) reliably and with little-to-no human input.
Nowhere is this property more important than in transporting items from Earth into space.
This week on the HLFF Blog, Ben Skuse unpacks the mathematics behind some of the origami-inspired patterns most widely used in technological applications: Origami Mathematics: The Shape of Things to Come
Image caption: The Miura origami pattern elegantly expands and contracts with minimal effort. Image credit: MetaNest (CC-BY-3.0).