Engineering Origami merges the ancient Japanese art of origami with mechanical engineering principles. Origami (折り紙; ori meaning folding and kami meaning paper) transforms flat sheets of paper into intricate 3D shapes; and its principles extend beyond art to provide innovative engineering solutions. This course introduces students to the structural and functional potential of folded paper; showing how origami can address engineering challenges in fields like aerospace; materials science; robotics; and architecture. Students will explore key principles like fold geometry; material efficiency; and deployable systems; while learning to apply mechanical concepts such as stress analysis and material properties to create functional origami structures. Through hands-on learning; students will fold traditional designs and study real-world applications of origami; including shape-shifting systems; metamaterials; and robotics. Weekly assignments and videos will stimulate in-class discussions; and the course will include a final project that requires students to design and present their own origami-inspired engineering solution.
Prerequisites
Be in the Honors Program