Uploaded November 2017 | Updated September 2026, 10 hours ago
Entered into the ZEISS Photography Competition 2017.
Struck at 180 km/h and filmed at 100,000 frames per second, the laser printed steel origami can rapidly contract itself horizontally ahead of the point of impact.
Conventional structures would expand laterally under compression, but this structure has a negative Poisson’s ratio, meaning it does the opposite. This is inherent to this origami fold pattern, and provides a self-reinforcing feature for impact protection. This part was additively manufactured (i.e. 3D-printed) with selective laser melting of stainless steel.
Entered into the ZEISS Photography Competition 2017.
Struck at 180 km/h and filmed at 100,000 frames per second, the laser printed steel origami can rapidly contract itself horizontally ahead of the point of impact.
Conventional structures would expand laterally under compression, but this structure has a negative Poisson’s ratio, meaning it does the opposite. This is inherent to this origami fold pattern, and provides a self-reinforcing feature for impact protection. This part was additively manufactured (i.e. 3D-printed) with selective laser melting of stainless steel.
