Engineers create emergency origami bridge

About

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.

Project Status
Proposed
November 05, 2020
October
29
2020
to
December
04
2020
Key Contact
  • Aliyah Arunasalam
    Design Validation Engineer at AesculaTech
    University of Southern California, 2019, B.S. Biomedical Engineering
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