Most people think of origami, the Japanese art of folding paper, as good for little more than making toys and trinkets. Indeed, you might imagine that the closest it comes to practical utility is in the making of paper aeroplanes – and even that is not very close. However, in the last few decades scientists and engineers have begun investigating the surprisingly rich mathematics underlying origami, and along the way have found a wide range of applications for the ancient art, from automotive engineering to medical devices and even spaceflight.
The craft of folding paper has existed for hundreds of years in many countries and in different forms. But in the mid-20th century it underwent something of a renaissance when Akira Yoshizawa, a master of the art, began creating highly original new works. This led to the now near-universal use of the Japanese term origami, "ori" meaning "folded" and "kami" meaning "paper", to describe the art.
In the February issue of Physics World, Robert J Lang – one of the world's masters of origami with over 400 designs catalogued and diagrammed – reveals a selection of the many awe-inspiring applications of origami: from folding space telescopes, to compact tents, and even to inflating blocked arteries.
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