Implications and applications¶
ORIGAMI SHAPES¶
Integration into the Project Object¶
This idea is one of the most interesting for me. I really love making folded paper or any origami-like shapes. These shapes make the paper strong and give it new working possibilities and functionality. And visually they are unique, dynamic, and just too interesting.
Why do I love these shapes so much?
In my first year at university we had a class called "Architectonica." During that class we created many shapes, calculated them, learned how to manipulate them to get the form we wanted, and explored which materials work best.
It’s sad, but at that time it was just "folded paper" for me and nothing more. I understood the real meaning only on the day of the final exam, when they gave me a bad assessment and asked, "Why?" Then they explained:
These shapes are architectural shapes. They make paper many times stronger. You can use them in buildings or in any object where you want to change the structure and improve its characteristics.
Only after that moment I started to look at these folded forms like living, breathing objects.
REFERENCES AND INSPIRATION¶
Ron Resch and Vegreville Eg¶
I found a beautiful film about Ron Resch’s work with origami shapes. He is an artist and computer scientist who applied geometric research in his work, involving paper folding, origami tessellations, and 3D polyhedrons in the 1960s and 1970s. He is best known for designing the "Vegreville Egg."
Here is his film dedicated to this topic ⬇
Vegreville Eg
Engineering with Origami¶
Origami is inspiring a plethora of new engineering designs.
The second video I found was about using origami shapes in engineering. It was the first time I saw origami applied to technical systems. At first glance, it’s surprising that origami — a centuries-old art of folding paper for aesthetic purposes — can be used in engineering. But when you look closer, there are many reasons why paper-folding methods work so well in this field.
Origami allows you to take a flat sheet of material and transform it into almost any shape only by folding. For large flat structures, origami also provides a way to shrink dimensions while keeping simple deployment, which is especially useful for space applications such as solar arrays.
In addition, movements designed for flexible paper can be translated into compliant mechanisms in engineering, like the kaleidocycle. Because the principles of origami are scalable, these mechanisms can also be dramatically miniaturized.
DIGITAL WEAVING¶
Studio Samira boon's 3D textile structures translate origami into digital weaving.
Archifolds, winner of the Creative Heroes Award, is an innovative series of textile structures based on traditional Japanese folding techniques. Studio Samira Boon collaborated with Tilburg’s TextielLab and Prof. T. Tachi from the University of Tokyo to translate traditional paper-folding methods into digital weaving techniques.
These textile structures embody Samira Boon’s vision of healthy environments as spaces that are flexible and dynamic, like natural systems. As the designer explains, “adaptive textiles are able to accommodate and regulate changing needs in spatial circulation, efficient energy usage, and acoustic ambience.”
By incorporating various smart properties that respond to their surroundings — including light, heat, and sound — the computerized textile materialization of origami structures offers a new type of architectural intervention that is extremely flexible in both use and possibility.
You can write more about this project by clicking on this sentence. Enjoy!
INTIGRATION INTO THE PROJECT¶
I wanted to create an origami-shaped fabric that would be more stable, strong, and visually interesting, and that could be integrated into different projects — maybe in clothes or in industrial objects, like a sofa, chair, or anything else. I had a small project in Wearables week where I used the 3D-printing-on-fabric method. After that, I put it under a press and got a pattern that moves when the material works.
I think it is an interesting idea and it could work well in future projects. But I also wanted to try not only the 3D printing method, but also molding, pressing, soft robotics, or other techniques, to understand which of them works better for this kind of project and what different effects they give to the final result.
About My project
This project is about a scarf with 3D-printed fabric that shrinks when the metamotor works. It helps the scarf protect your neck from the wind. It can work with a wind detector or simply with a pressure sensor. When it is activated, the scarf moves up and closes around your neck to protect it, so the wind will not hit your neck and you will not feel cold or get ill.
Project Storytelling¶
This project started from a personal experience. I was hiking in the mountains of Ara. I was very close to the top — only the last steps were left — but it was extremely cold and windy. My scarf kept sliding down all the time. I tried again and again to pull it up and close my neck, but the wind immediately pushed it down. I was tired, cold, and had no energy left. I couldn’t stop every few seconds to fix my scarf, and my hands were busy. My neck stayed exposed, and I felt uncomfortable, unsafe, and close to getting ill. The scarf I had was large, but it simply didn’t stay in place and didn’t protect my neck when I needed it the most. While continuing the last part of the hike in this uncomfortable state, I started to think:
Why can’t objects work for us ?
Why can’t a scarf react by itself — protect the neck, keep it warm, and make the body comfortable — instead of requiring constant attention and effort?
This moment became the starting point of the project. I wanted to create a scarf that actively helps the wearer, especially in cold and windy conditions, when there is no energy, time, or ability to adjust clothing manually. The goal is simple: keep the body warm, safe, and comfortable, and reduce the risk of getting ill — even in the hardest moments. And of course, I want to make it stylish — something people would want to wear not only because of its functionality, but also because of its design. The scarf should enhance the overall look, make it more interesting and unique, and feel like a natural part of personal style, not just a technical or “smart” object.
WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHY¶
Who? This project is for people who live in cold regions or in cities with long, harsh winters. It is especially relevant for those who are sensitive to cold, spend a lot of time outdoors, or simply want more comfort and protection in low temperatures.
What? It is designed for people who need to keep themselves safe and warm by protecting the neck area in cold weather. The idea is to create a smart, responsive scarf that can close and adjust itself when needed, helping to reduce heat loss and protect the body during cold conditions in winter, and in the colder periods of autumn and spring.
When? The scarf can be used in everyday life as well as in more active situations. It is suitable for daily commuting, hiking, long walks, evening outings, travel, or any moment when the temperature drops and wind becomes uncomfortable.
Where? In cold seasons or in cold parts of a country or the world.This project is intended for use during cold seasons and in cold climates, whether in cities, mountainous areas, countryside environments, or anywhere in the world where weather conditions require additional warmth and protection.
Why? The main goal is to keep the wearer safe, warm, and comfortable without constant manual adjustment. When a person is tired, carrying bags, wearing gloves, or simply wants to move freely, adjusting a scarf repeatedly can be inconvenient. This project allows the clothing to work for the person — automatically protecting the neck, improving comfort, and reducing the risk of getting cold or ill.
CONCLUSION¶
The scarf was the first idea I wanted to explore as a wearable piece. At first, I was thinking about it almost like a wearable’s week, but of course, time was limited. Still, I made a small experiment to understand how this idea could work.
Now, I want to think more deeply about this concept and figure out which sphere it fits best — fashion, industrial design, interior, or maybe something else. I want to explore how I can use this technique to create something unique, interesting, and special for my final project.
At the moment, I’m not entirely sure if the final object will still be a scarf, or if this technique would work better with another form or object. In any case, I wanted to present this idea, share my process.