There are some modular origami that are approximations of fractals, such as Menger's sponge. Many examples of such boxes are shown in Fabulous Origami Boxes by Tomoko Fuse. Modular origami techniques can be used to create lidded boxes which are not only beautiful but also useful as containers for gifts. Three-dimensional forms tend to be regular polyhedra or tessellations of simple polyhedra. Flat forms are usually polygons (sometimes known as coasters), stars, rotors, and rings. Modular origami forms may be flat or three-dimensional. Notable modular paperfolders include Robert Neale, Sonobe, Tomoko Fuse, Kunihiko Kasahara, Tom Hull, Heinz Strobl and Ekaterina Lukasheva. Since then, the modular origami technique has been popularized and developed extensively, and now there have been thousands of designs developed in this repertoire. One notable figure is Steve Krimball, who discovered the potential in Sonobe's cube unit and demonstrated that it could be used to make alternative polyhedral shapes, including a 30-piece ball. The 1970s saw a sudden period of interest and development in modular origami as its own distinct field, leading to its present status in origami folding. Most traditional designs are however single-piece and the possibilities inherent in the modular origami idea were not explored further until the 1960s when the technique was re-invented by Robert Neale in the US and later by Mitsunobu Sonobe in Japan. There are also a few modular designs in the Chinese paperfolding tradition, notably the pagoda (from Maying Soong) and the lotus made from Joss paper. The term kusudama is sometimes, rather inaccurately, used to describe any three-dimensional modular origami structure resembling a ball. These designs are not integrated and are commonly strung together with thread.

There are several other traditional Japanese modular designs, including balls of folded paper flowers known as kusudama, or medicine balls. Each module forms one face of the finished cube. The six modules required for this design were developed from the traditional Japanese paperfold commonly known as the menko. Isao Honda's World of Origami (published in 1965) appears to have the same model, where it is called a 'cubical box'. The cube is pictured twice (from slightly different angles) and is identified in the accompanying text as a tamatebako (magic treasure chest). It contains a print that shows a group of traditional origami models, one of which is a modular cube. The first historical evidence for a modular origami design comes from a Japanese book by Hayato Ohoka published in 1734 called Ranma Zushiki. History A kusudama, the traditional Japanese precursor to modular origami Any other usage is generally discouraged. Typically this means using separate linking units hidden from sight to hold parts of the construction together. More than one type of module can still be used. There is a common misconception that treats all multi-piece origami as modular. The additional restrictions that distinguish modular origami from other forms of multi-piece origami are using many identical copies of any folded unit, and linking them together in a symmetrical or repeating fashion to complete the model. However, all the other rules of origami still apply, so the use of glue, thread, or any other fastening that is not a part of the sheet of paper is not generally acceptable in modular origami. Modular origami can be classified as a sub-set of multi-piece origami, since the rule of restriction to one sheet of paper is abandoned. These insertions create tension or friction that holds the model together.ĭefinition and restrictions Examples of modular origami made up of Sonobe units

Modular origami or unit origami is a two-stage paperfolding technique in which several, or sometimes many, sheets of paper are first folded into individual modules, or units, and then assembled into an integrated flat shape or three-dimensional structure, usually by inserting flaps into pockets created by the folding process. Modular origami A stellated icosahedron made from custom papers ( May 2009) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message)

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