This is really cool and innovative thinking, but anything aerodynamic does not scale linearly. It's really easy to make something light fall slowly. Baby spiders use "ballooning" -- a single thread -- to fall so slowly that they can travel far in thermal updrafts.
What's missing here is any evidence that the same cool parachutes will work on anything of significant mass, e.g. a parcel weighing 2kg or an average human weighing 80kg.
Gary was one of the TAs in the class. The non-reducibility of letterforms has remained a fascination—I always did like the (computational) linguistics corner of cognitive science!
Modern parachutes can be packed relatively small and open quite quickly. Not sure how you would pack one of these parachutes, especially if they are made from a relatively stiff plastic.
> When dropping a payload from a drone or aircraft, this gliding angle means parachutes will often drift far from their intended targets. This can be especially frustrating and potentially dangerous for operations such as humanitarian aid delivery, where precisely targeted airdrops are often vital to success.
I could't help but roll my eyes at this textbook example of describing new technology as being "useful for humanitarian or search & rescue work", instead of the much more obvious usefulness in military applications.
Who's kidding who about what "precisely targeted airdrops" are most likely to be used for? These will be in use by Ukraine well before anything beyond a technology demo drops on to a "stranded hiker" in a National Park...
Dropping supplies to isolated or behind-the-lines forces is a very real logistical issue. While some of those supplies might be munitions, rations and medical supplies are a significant part of the need.
I know, it doesn't make you feel any friendlier to the issue, but tech has multiple applications. Chainsaws were invented to increase survivability of mothers in difficult births.
I hope the paper and cardboard construction they mention is feasible for commercial use. Otherwise I'm picturing a future where drone deliveries are commonplace and these plastic parachutes litter our streets and waterways.
I really like this kind of exploration that blends natural principles, aesthetics, and engineering. It is not just a technical breakthrough but a fresh way of thinking about what it means to land.
I can imagine how meaningful it would be if one day these kirigami parachutes are used to drop medical supplies, support disaster relief, or even serve space missions. Beautiful and practical at the same time.
I was reseaching kirigami yesterday for a DYI project, and it was the first time I heard about kirigami, and of course I stumbled upon the parachute application. And now its on the front page of HN?
To whoever is running the simulation: This is a bit on the nose. And don't even try to Baader-Meinhof me.
Can one nest those kirigami structures on top of each other? Imagine if you had a smaller-diameter version right on top of it. It would open up inside the outer one, increasing the surface area. The bottle example didn't seem convincing in and of itself in the videos, but the small egg and LEGO figure had what looked like somewhat functional.
I wonder if it is easier/lighter to make a parachute that can handle different speeds, e.g. for atmospheric reentry, reusing the same structure for the drogue chute and the main chutes.
This is a funny timing. I was just discussing with my son this morning what the most efficient ways were to set free the mice we catch in our mouse friendly trap. One of the "options" we came up with was a launching mechanism and a tiny parachute to send them to a field at the end of our street. The main problem we came up with was that it was really hard to predict where the mouse would land. I'll show him this kirigami design this afternoon :-)
(Disclaimer: obviously we're not actually launching mice. These are just thought experiments. I actually walk to the field to release the mice.)
32 comments
[ 3.1 ms ] story [ 48.6 ms ] threadWhat's missing here is any evidence that the same cool parachutes will work on anything of significant mass, e.g. a parcel weighing 2kg or an average human weighing 80kg.
Gary was one of the TAs in the class. The non-reducibility of letterforms has remained a fascination—I always did like the (computational) linguistics corner of cognitive science!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rrDW6YIbXI
I could't help but roll my eyes at this textbook example of describing new technology as being "useful for humanitarian or search & rescue work", instead of the much more obvious usefulness in military applications.
Who's kidding who about what "precisely targeted airdrops" are most likely to be used for? These will be in use by Ukraine well before anything beyond a technology demo drops on to a "stranded hiker" in a National Park...
Dropping supplies to isolated or behind-the-lines forces is a very real logistical issue. While some of those supplies might be munitions, rations and medical supplies are a significant part of the need.
I know, it doesn't make you feel any friendlier to the issue, but tech has multiple applications. Chainsaws were invented to increase survivability of mothers in difficult births.
Nothing much has changed about precision in delivery of goods.
I can imagine how meaningful it would be if one day these kirigami parachutes are used to drop medical supplies, support disaster relief, or even serve space missions. Beautiful and practical at the same time.
I can think of one place that would have IMMEDIATE utility.
What an achievement for such a simple and elegant solution, bravo!
[1] Kirigami-inspired parachutes with programmable reconfiguration:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09515-9
To whoever is running the simulation: This is a bit on the nose. And don't even try to Baader-Meinhof me.
This is a funny timing. I was just discussing with my son this morning what the most efficient ways were to set free the mice we catch in our mouse friendly trap. One of the "options" we came up with was a launching mechanism and a tiny parachute to send them to a field at the end of our street. The main problem we came up with was that it was really hard to predict where the mouse would land. I'll show him this kirigami design this afternoon :-)
(Disclaimer: obviously we're not actually launching mice. These are just thought experiments. I actually walk to the field to release the mice.)