Researchers at MIT have created an innovative technique for constructing 3D shapes that can arise from a flat arrangement of interconnected tiles with a single tug on a string. This approach holds potential for creating collapsible bike helmets, medical apparatus, emergency shelters, field hospitals for disaster scenarios, and much more.
Mina Konaković Luković, the leader of the Algorithmic Design Group at the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), and her team took inspiration from kirigami, the traditional Japanese craft of paper cutting, to develop an algorithm that transforms a user-defined 3D form into a flat figure composed of tiles connected by rotating hinges at their corners.
The algorithm employs a two-phase approach to determine the ideal trajectory through the tile array for a string that can be pulled tight to activate the structure. It calculates the least number of points the string must elevate to form the desired shape and identifies the shortest route connecting those lift points, ensuring all necessary areas of the object’s boundary are covered to facilitate the transition to its 3D form. These computations are executed in such a manner that minimizes friction, allowing the structure to be easily activated with a single pull.
The activation method is readily reversible, enabling the structure to revert to its flat form. The designs could be fabricated through 3D printing, CNC machining, molding, or other methodologies.
This technique could enhance the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of storing and transporting intricate 3D shapes. Potential uses include portable medical devices, foldable robots that can collapse to navigate confined spaces, or even modular habitats for space deployed by robots on Mars’ surface.
“The straightforward nature of the entire activation mechanism is a significant advantage of our method,” remarks Akib Zaman, a graduate student specializing in electrical engineering and computer science, and the primary author of a study on this work. “Users only need to submit their desired design, and our technique optimizes it so that it retains the shape after a single pull of the string, making deployment remarkably simple. I hope this method will be utilized to create a diverse range of deployable structures.”
The researchers applied their approach to design various objects of differing dimensions, ranging from customized medical gadgets like a splint and a posture corrector to an igloo-style portable structure. They also designed and built a human-scale chair. This technique could be instrumental in producing objects from minuscule items activated within the body to architectural frameworks of buildings that are set up on site using cranes.
Looking ahead, the researchers aim to delve deeper into designs at both extremes of that spectrum. Moreover, they aspire to develop a self-deploying mechanism, eliminating the need for human or robotic activation of the structures.
