3D-Printable Origami Glider

This was a 10-week summer research project under Professor Chris Lee at Olin College of Engineering. Our team of 5 examined the applicability of origami folding patterns to create self-deploying fixed-wing aircraft. We also examined the fabrication technique of 3D-printing and its viability for creating these aircraft.

We started this project by researching the science behind flat-folding origami patterns and existing aircraft that use this technology. We then began prototyping different wing shapes, creating suitable fold patterns, exploring different material combinations, and fine-tuning fabrication settings. Our final prototype of the summer, named Hercules III, is pictured in the images above and can be seen self-deploying and gliding in the videos below.

The CAD for this project was done in Solidworks.

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