Origami Engineering Revolutionizes Material Design and Construction

Strategic Insights -

Larissa Novelino, an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at Rice University, is using the centuries-old art of origami to transform the way we design materials, structures, and machines. By applying the geometric principles behind folding, Novelino's research creates structures that are compact when stored but transform into strong, functional shapes when deployed. Her work has led to the development of portable emergency shelters, lightweight materials with unique mechanical properties, and even origami-inspired electromagnetic filters and soft robots.

Key Takeaways:

  • Novelino's research focuses on applying origami principles to real-world challenges, creating structures that are compact when stored but transform into strong, functional shapes when deployed.
  • Origami engineering can be used to design buildings, materials, and machines with unique properties, such as deployability, stiffness, and weight.
  • Novelino's designs aim to make construction safer and more efficient by using principles of origami to create structures that fold flat, transport easily, and deploy with minimal human risk.
  • Origami gives students an accessible, tangible way to understand complex concepts, such as geometry, mechanics, and design.
  • Novelino's research combines traditional engineering approaches with origami-inspired structures, allowing her to prototype and experiment with concepts in a hands-on way.
  • Her work has applications in a wide range of fields, from construction to robotics and materials science.

Statistics:

  • Novelino has worked on designs for portable emergency shelters, lightweight materials with unique mechanical properties, origami-inspired electromagnetic filters, and soft robots that use origami folds to "snap" into new positions and perform different tasks.
  • Her research has led to a new understanding of how geometry can be used to design materials that behave in specific ways, such as stiffness, weight, and response to different directions.
  • At Rice University, Novelino's students learn that in her classroom, you don't just solve equations, you fold them.

Sources:

  • Rice University News Release, "Folding the Future: Origami Helping Rice Engineer Novelino Transform Materials, Structures," September 2, 2025, https://news.rice.edu/news/2025/folding-future-origami-helping-rice-engineer-novelino-transform-materials-structures