High-Tech Origami: A Future of Materials Roundtable

THE EMERGENCE OF ORIGAMI in China and Japan was linked to the invention of a revolutionary new material: paper. Today, concepts from this classical art are spurring new advances in fields such as deployable structures, soft robotics, programmable materials, and nanomaterials. Join MIAM for a talk by two leaders in this field, Hamid Akbarzadeh (McGill Bioresource Engineering) and Damiano Pasini (McGill Mechanical Engineering), as they discuss and answer questions about how origami folding techniques—often initially explored through paper models—can help solve persistent engineering challenges: How do we create stronger and lighter materials? How do we conserve space when transporting products around the world and into outer space? How can we create machines that are both durable and flexible, and able to deploy in remote environments? Professors Akbarzadeh and Pasini will bring samples of origami and origami-inspired materials.