Japanese engineers test origami based Mobile Bridge

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Engineers from Japan have successfully made and tested a bridge that is made on the concept of origami. The new mobile bridge can be useful for the disaster zones. The device is known as the Mobile Bridge 4.0 which was set up without any foundations with just a few people over the Hongo River in Fukuyama City in Japan.

origami bridge

The test saw a vehicle travel the bridge safely. The bridge has been designed to be extended when necessary and can be disassembled like a concertina. The test was presented at the Japanese engineering symposium. The design of the bridge has a patented technology that has a technology that is similar to a scissor.
The bridge can be made ready for traffic in an hour. The entire system can be easily transported in a car trailer. Such a device can be useful in situations like flood, earthquakes and other natural disasters. System can be useful when the emergency services are delayed. Dr. Paolo Beccarelli, Assistant Professor in Architectural structures at the University of Nottinham said, “A crucial point is how to expand a portable bridge. Usually a crane and a team of technicians is needed, but not in this case”.
The Mobile Bridge can be used as a temporary structure when the repair work is being carried out on the bridges to avoid disruption of traffic.

Photo Credits: gizmag