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Diversion: Miura Fold Metamaterial

Everybody knows the trick about strengthening a piece of paper by folding it fanwise. And the interwebs are full of examples technology using Miura folding to make bulky things compact for transport to infinity and beyond.

So here’s a little exploration of Miura folding for strength.

First, do some folding to create three sides of a square:

Fold a fan, then fold the diagonals. Finally fold Miura-style, changing directions. The folded paper should look like the diagram above when folded compactly.

And the Glamour Shots. The box + contents weighs about 100 grams and is easily supported as a static load. The shots with the chess pieces are for scale.

I need to get a big sheet of paper and see what else I can come up with. I think some highly cantilevered beams should be possible.

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