Polytechnique Engineers Develop Low-Cost,Recyclable kirigami Parachutes
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A groundbreaking new parachute design,developed by engineers at Polytechnique Montréal,promises to dramatically reduce costs and increase sustainability in a variety of applications,from drone delivery to humanitarian aid. The innovative parachute is created from a single sheet of material, intricately cut to unfold mid-air, offering a potentially revolutionary alternative to traditional parachute manufacturing.
The project, spearheaded by a team led by Gosselin, focuses on utilizing readily available and inexpensive materials. “We were able to make a parachute for very little cost and simple materials like a sheet of paper, plastic, cardboard,” a lead researcher stated. “So we can make parachutes that are cheap to make but also they coudl be recyclable, reusable or even biodegradable.”
The Science Behind the Fold: Kirigami in Action
The key to this affordability lies in the application of kirigami,the ancient Japanese art of paper cutting. Unlike origami, which relies on folding, kirigami involves cutting the material to create three-dimensional structures. This allows for complex designs to be achieved with minimal material waste. However, the current prototype relies on a laser cutter, a meaningful upfront investment. Production currently takes approximately 25 minutes per parachute, limited by the laser machine’s two-by-three-foot dimensions.
During a recent demonstration at Polytechnique, the team showcased the parachute’s functionality using a bristol board purchased from a dollar store, highlighting the potential for extremely low-cost production.A major hurdle overcome by the team was identifying effective cutting patterns from the virtually limitless possibilities. The resulting design, researchers say, is remarkably stable, descending in a straight line with minimal drift.
Potential Applications Span Multiple Industries
The implications of this technology are far-reaching. “These kinds of parachutes could limit material losses during airdropping as well as decrease manufacturing costs and complexity,” researchers noted in their published findings. The parachute’s performance remains consistent irrespective of size, suggesting the design can be scaled up for larger payloads.
Gosselin envisions a wide range of applications, including:
- Drone Delivery: Reducing the cost of package delivery.
- Humanitarian Airdrops: Providing affordable and enduring aid delivery solutions.
- Atmospheric Research: Deploying sensors into hurricanes to gather critical data at various altitudes.
“And so these Kirigami parachutes could be made very cheap to achieve these kind of applications,” Gosselin explained.
From thesis Project to Award-Winning Innovation
The project originated as the master’s thesis of Danic Lamoureux, who received the award for the best master’s dissertation at Polytechnique for 2024. Funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada enabled Lamoureux to conduct crucial testing at École polytechnique in Paris.
Future Research and Challenges
While the initial results are promising, the team acknowledges ongoing research is needed. Current efforts are focused on refining kirigami patterns to enhance parachute functionality, including improving descent control and enabling rotation for aerial scanning with cameras. Scaling up manufacturing to meet potential demand also presents a logistical challenge.
“We’re still at the stage of basic research,” Gosselin said. “The novelty was to bring this new idea of kirigami parachutes forward and show that it’s possible.”
Looking further ahead, the team is considering the possibility of adapting the technology for space applications. However, gosselin cautioned that deploying a parachute on Mars, with its drastically thinner atmosphere and supersonic wind speeds, would require significant modifications and further research. The Martian atmosphere is approximately one percent as dense as Earth’s, presenting a substantial engineering challenge.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on October 2, 2025.
