Elliptic Infinity

This fold pattern was designed by Dr. Robert Lang. The original uses curved creases, while this is a discretized version.

Origami in Engineering

Visit this page of the BYU Compliant Mechanisms Research Lab (CMR) about origami in engineering

How to Make it

Paper

For the original crease pattern, see https://langorigami.com/crease-pattern/elliptic-infinity-a/

3D printing

The best way seems to be printing the bottom layers in a flexible material, then printing a harder material as the segments. This is what the black version uses.

We've had success printing in PLA. Make sure the bottom layer is very thin.

Lamp

A lamp inspired by this design can be seen below. See more work on the lamp (including nice photos) by the Wasatch Design Collective here.

Learn More

This design was developed by the Compliant Mechanisms Research Group (CMR) from Brigham Young University (BYU). Follow us at @byucmr on Instagram, @CompliantMechanismsResearchGroup on Facebook, or visit the BYU Compliant Mechanisms Research (CMR) website to learn more about compliant mechanisms.

Technical Information

For in-depth technical information, see the following publications:

Nelson, T.G., Lang, R.L., Pehrson, N., Magleby, S.P., Howell, L.L., “Facilitating Deployable Mechanisms and Structures via Developable Lamina Emergent Arrays,” ASME Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics, Vol. 8, pp. 031006-1 to 031006-10, DOI: 10.1115/1.4031901, 2016.

To learn more about compliant mechanisms in general, see the BYU Compliant Mechanisms Research (CMR) website or these books: Compliant Mechanisms, Handbook of Compliant Mechanisms

Intellectual Property

The downloadable 3D print files provided here may be used, modified, and enjoyed for noncommercial use. To license this technology for commercial applications, contact:

BYU Technology Transfer Office
3760 Harold B. Lee Library
Brigham Young University
Provo, UT 84602
Phone: (801) 422-6266
https://techtransfer.byu.edu/contact