Origami & Automobile Airbags
Robert J. Lang : KNL Dragon, Opus 132, Medium: One uncut square of Thai unryu paper, Composed: 1987, Folded: 2002, Size: 7"
"What could origami possibly have to do with automotive airbags? Quite a lot, it turns out.
See a QuickTime animation of an airbag deployment for which the mesh was generated using an origami design algorithm. The origami creases appear in the flattening you see in the first seconds of the animation.
"Automobile airbags are the result of some incredible engineering. In a high-speed crash, the occupants of the car can be hurled into the side, dash, or windshield. But in an airbag-equipped car, in the instant after a crash is detected, the onboard electronics detonate a small explosive charge that inflates the airbag, providing enough cushioning to protect the occupant from impact with something less yielding than the inflated bag. Fatality and serious injury rates have plummeted since the widespread installation of airbags in cars." MORE >>