Paper Honeycomb Machine

I created this machine in a Fabrication Art course I helped to create with Nueva faculty. I was inspired by artist Li Hongbo who creates expanding sculptures by hand from stacks of paper. My machine automatically applies a pattern of glue to a single piece of 8-1/2" x 11" printer paper, which can they be laid in an alternating fashion to create an accordion effect when the glue has set. This structurally load-bearing material can then be machined or sculpted with cutting tools to create specialized geometries for functional, aesthetic and transformational products. I used a similar hand-built process with larger, thicker construction paper to create the expanding coffee table.