Researchers at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have developed bistable inflatable structures inspired by origami, raising new possibilities for the future of emergency shelters, pop-up architecture, and even extra-terrestrial structures. Many of.
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IMAGE: This inflatable shelter is out of thick plastic sheets and can pop up or fold flat. view more
Credit: (Image courtesy of Benjamin Gorissen/David Melancon/Harvard SEAS)
In 2016, an inflatable arch wreaked havoc at the Tour de France bicycle race when it deflated and collapsed on a cyclist, throwing him from his bike and delaying the race while officials scrambled to clear the debris from the road. Officials blamed a passing spectator s wayward belt buckle for the arch s collapse, but the real culprit was physics.
Today s inflatable structures, used for everything from field hospitals to sporting complexes, are monostable, meaning they need a constant input of pressure in order to maintain their inflated state. Lose that pressure and the structure returns to its only stable form flat.