The world of temporary structures has a design problem. They can be compact, they can be easy to put up and take down, or they can be strong. But they can’t usually be all three. Inflatable structures achieve two out of the three – they can be quickly erected and flattened down again – but they’re not very stable…

So, a team at Harvard decided to design a system for structures that are compact, transformable and stable once they’re up. To do this, they turned to the ancient art form of origami.[…]

Source: Can origami make good emergency shelters? | The Kid Should See This