Art of origami gets robotics

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(Free-Press-Release.com) October 24, 2011 -- That’s what Gregory Epps , founder of London-based RoboFold , did.
He has a primarily artistic background: in 1997 Greg made his first sculpture in bent aluminium. While studying architecture at London Metropolitan University, he experimented possibilities to develop artefacts made of folded metal and the machinery to bend it.

At the Royal College of Art his ideas became reality. In 2007 he graduated: his final project is the patent of a new system to produce and bend metal sheets by using industrial robots.

The main innovation is to fold 1 mm thick aluminium sheets into geometric and organic shapes . These kind of shape may be obtained only by producing expensive molds and long runs.

The process to generate artefacts begins with the folding of the paper, taking up the ancient art of origami. The underlying philosophy is simple: every shape that you an obtain with folded paper can be reproduced by using robots. So, once the paper prototype has been defined, you can pass to computerized testing. With the software Rhinoceros 3D you can carry out a virtual model that simulates the movements the robots will make in the production stage. At the end of the simulation you can carry out the prototype: a CNC machine cut the metal, after that the robots bend the metal in order to achieve the designed form.

Sounds like magic, but it’s reality!
This kind of technology opens the door to new and interesting products to be mainly used for interior architecture and for building innovative architecture facades.

Last September, at the 100% Design London Festival, the last interior decorative panels, developed over the last few months, have been presented.

But RoboFold innovation goes beyond its technology. It’s very interesting to see the “open source” strategy of the same company: students, architects and designers can experiment with their hands all the development process, attending the workshops led by Gregory himself once a month. During the week of work they try all the project phases, from the paper model to the model made of aluminium. If they want, designers can also rent the whole lab in order to develop and carry out their ideas and projects. Once everything is defined, the robots will proceed with production!

On their website you can find images of the exciting products carried out and some videos of the robot in action!

Enjoy!

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