John Varrasi is a senior staff writer for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). Featured engineers Mary Frecker and Larry Howell are ASME Fellows. Varrasi contributed this article to ...

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Hundreds of years ago, a marvel of modern engineering was born ...

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Origami traditionally involves the creation of extremely delicate ...

Japan's traditional papercraft, origami, has come to be used in engineering, as researchers observe insects and other specimens to develop "crease patterns" that can be utilized in diverse fields.

An origami-based structure will fold and twist in certain ways based on the structure's material properties and its geometry. When engineers prevent that natural motion, they call it "frustrating" the ...