Introduction to Deployable Structures

My PhD work, with Sergio Pellegrino in the early 1990's, was in deployable structures; an archive of Sergio Pellegrino's work in this area at Cambridge is now maintained. My main interest is in the early development of new concepts for use as deployable structures. My recent work in symmetry has proved particularly useful for making progress.

Recent Projects

Old Projects

• Foldable Cylinders
  Foldable Cylinders are a new way of packaging a cylinder. They consist of a number of triangular panels arranged in a helical pattern on a cylinder; when folded the cylinders are packaged as a compact stack of plates. You'll find a simple cut-out-and-keep model to make yourself.
• Wrapping Fold Pattern
  The Wrapping Fold Pattern is a way of folding a membrane by wrapping it around a central hub. It has been 'invented' a number of times, but we believe we have a particularly simple and effective way of calculating the correct fold pattern. You'll find a simple cut-out-and-keep model to make yourself.
• Solid Surface Deployable Antenna
  The Solid Surface Deployable Antenna is a new concept for the folding of a parabolic antenna where the frequency of operation requires a solid reflective surface. The surface is split into wings; each wing is subdivided into panels, which are connected by revolute joints. The surface folds by wrapping the wings around a central hub.

Last updated on the 23rd of June, 2010