MIT Reinvents the Zipper: 3D-Printable Custom Fasteners That Pitch a Tent in 80 Seconds
MIT CSAIL researchers, inspired by a 1980s three-sided zipper patent filed by MIT alumnus William Freeman, have developed 3D-printable customizable fasteners. The device features three elastic 'arms' that, when zipped together, form rigid structures of various shapes. Applications demonstrated include pitching a tent in 80 seconds, adjustable fracture braces, and motorized robotic limbs.
Highlights
- MIT CSAIL, led by Associate Professor Stefanie Mueller, developed 3D-printable customizable fasteners inspired by a three-sided zipper patent filed by William Freeman (PhD '92) in the mid-1980s.
- The fastener's three elastic arms zip together to form rigid structures, with user-configurable parameters including strip length, bending angle, and final geometry (straight, curved, coiled, or helically twisted).
- A tent using the new fastener can be fully pitched in just 80 seconds, demonstrating rapid deployment capability.
- A fracture brace incorporating the fastener can be tightened or loosened on demand, offering a more flexible alternative to traditional plaster casts.
- With a motor attached, the fastener enables real-time robotic limb height adjustment at the press of a button, highlighting its potential for soft robotics applications.
MIT Reinvents the Zipper: 3D-Printable Smart Fasteners Arrive
MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) has designed a revolutionary adjustable fastener that makes pitching a tent or adjusting a fracture brace nearly as simple as zipping up a jacket.
Inspired by a Forgotten Patent from Three Decades Ago
Led by Associate Professor Stefanie Mueller, the research draws inspiration from an almost-forgotten prototype — a three-sided zipper patent filed in the mid-1980s by MIT doctoral alumnus William Freeman (PhD '92, now a professor at MIT). Building on that foundation, the team developed companion software that allows users to design customized versions of the fastener and 3D-print them in plastic.
The fastener features three flexible elastic 'arms' that, once zipped together, can form a variety of rigid structures.
Highly Customizable by Design
Users can freely configure the following parameters:
- Strip length
- Bending direction and angle
- Final geometry: straight, curved, coiled, or helically twisted
Wide Range of Real-World Applications
The research team demonstrated several concrete use cases:
- Rapid tent pitching: A tent using this fastener can be fully set up in just 80 seconds
- Adjustable wrist brace: A fracture brace incorporating the fastener can be tightened or loosened on demand, eliminating the inconvenience of a traditional plaster cast
- Robotic limb control: With a motor attached, the height of a robotic leg can be adjusted in real time at the press of a button
The Team's Vision
MIT postdoctoral researcher and co-first author Jiaji Li commented: "A regular zipper is great for closing flat objects, like a jacket, but what Freeman envisioned was something more dynamic. We developed a process for making objects that can rapidly switch between flexible and rigid states, and you can be confident they will actually work in the real world."
The findings are set to be formally published in an academic paper and are expected to open new design possibilities in medical assistive devices, outdoor equipment, and soft robotics.
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