woensdag 6 maart 2019

interlocking modular origami unit 2 (IMORU2)

The original Sonobe modular origami unit is almost like a "lego block" for origami structures, but falls short in that the result is often not very rigid and/or falls apart without using adhesives. My previously published unit, called IMORU1, utilizes interlocking hooks to work around this problem.

It works a lot better, but after playing with it further for a while, I realized it also has two annoying issues: the hooks are a bit difficult to insert (and arguably a bit clunky/inelegant), and much worse, it is still not always completely rigid at the corners.

So I went back to the drawing board, and finally found something which has easier to insert hooks, is rigid in all corners and is actually also easier to fold. I'm not sure if it can still be called a Sonobe variation, but it's definitely inspired by it. This time I also tested it better. Here are some basic example structures:

And here's the diagram of how to fold it.

Photo of the completed unit:

Finally, a youtube video showing how to fold and join units.

Now, there still is one minor issue left with IMORU2, in that edges are not always taut, but this is basically cosmetic and doesn't affect its functionality. I may try to find an improved IMORU3 sometime in the not too distant future. But for now, let's first try to fold a few thousand of this.. O_o

Update: The diagram, plus some more details, were added to the OrigamiUSA diagrams page.