Business · Tom's Hardware
MIT researchers revive 40-year-old triangular zipper concept now made possible by 3D printing, creates shape-shifting robots
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Researchers at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory have developed a three-sided zipper that transforms 3D-printed floppy structures into rigid, load-bearing forms in seconds.
Key facts
- The work was presented at the ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI) in April and detailed in a paper titled "Y-Zipper: 3D Printing Flexible–Rigid Transition Mechanism for Rapid
- Researchers at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory have developed a three-sided zipper that transforms 3D-printed floppy structures into rigid, load-bearing forms in seconds
- The concept originated in 1985 with MIT professor William Freeman, who proposed a triangular zipper system intended to rapidly assemble objects such as tents, furniture, and containers
- Durability testing showed the mechanism surviving roughly 18,000 zip-and-unzip cycles before failure
Summary
Unlike conventional zippers that connect two flat surfaces in 2D, the Y-Zipper joins three flexible arms into a rigid 3D triangular tube. The concept originated in 1985 with MIT professor William Freeman, who proposed a triangular zipper system intended to rapidly assemble objects such as tents, furniture, and containers. The CSAIL team developed software that allows users to customize how the zipper behaves once assembled. The engineering principle behind the system is relatively straightforward: triangles are inherently rigid.