Origamis, the ancient Japanese art of creating representations with the geometric folds of a piece of paper, has wide application in science, technology and education. The self-assembly applied to origami, for example, is an innovative bet that is being applied in materials engineering, electrical engineering, robotics, nanotechnology, among other areas.
Nanotechnological origamis, for example, were used to create three-dimensional solar cells. They start with a very thin circular portion of silicon, or any material made of films, and, after adding a drop of water in the center of the small disk, the edges of the films are pulled by capillary forces as the water evaporates, making fold it around the drop, assuming its shape.
In robotics, self-assembled origami was applied to create robots capable of assembling and moving autonomously, assuming predetermined shapes when heated and automatic hinges. The folds are advantageous to the robot as they avoid the assembly of complex electromechanical equipment and integrate components in full form. The machines made with this process are highly accessible, because their construction is simple and low cost. They are still adaptable and easy to transport in large quantities, with applications such as search and rescue missions in collapsed buildings.
Therefore, we realize that working with self-assembled origami is an approach to high-efficiency, cost-effective and sustainable innovation.