Single-Strand Structures

A collaboration with Erik and Marty Demaine, the Single-Strand Structures are a series of prototypes looking at building structures with only a single line. Tent poles provide a cheap and quick assembly kit for constructing complex geometry with universal joints. These prototypes follow in a line of research on programmable matter and deconstructing complex geometry into single strand sequences of fold instructions, much like our Ribosome’s decoding of RNA into fold sequences of complex proteins. The Single-Strand Structures similarly ease assembly with a single instruction sequence and allow for fast shipment and deployment of large structures. The assembly kit offers a universal joint for complex vertices of any degree, while also creating a universal hinge, perfect for rigid origami structures. The Hypar surface was constructed from a single 75' chain of tent pole segments with a tension cord threaded throughout the entire length.