Engineers have successfully tested a mobile bridge based on origami that could be deployed in disaster zones.

In a test, Mobile Bridge version 4.0 was set up without any foundations by only a few people over the Hongo River in Fukuyama City, Japan. A vehicle travelled easily and safely across it.

The bridge is designed to be extended when needed, and disassembled, like a concertina.

The work was recently presented at a Japanese engineering symposium.

The bridge design uses patented technology with a scissor-like structure and mechanism, which means the bridge and its lanes expand simultaneously. It's ready for traffic within an hour.

The system is compact enough to be transported in a car trailer.