Kirigami, a technique that alters the mechanical properties of a material sheet through precise folds and cuts, has been traditionally used for creating various structures. However, the application of kirigami in parachute design is a new frontier. The research team at Polytechnique Montréal has pioneered this concept with a unique parachute made from a plastic sheet cut in a specialized kirigami pattern.
Revolutionizing Parachute Design
Under the leadership of professors David Mélançon and Frédérick Gosselin, the Mechanical Engineering Department at Polytechnique Montréal has developed a parachute with a “closed-loop” kirigami pattern. This pattern imparts the plastic sheet with extraordinary mechanical properties, allowing it to transform into an inverted bell shape during free fall when loaded with weight.
Unlike conventional parachutes, this innovative design ensures quick stabilization without pitching, following a precise descent trajectory. The versatility and low production cost of the kirigami parachute make it ideal for a range of applications, including humanitarian aid deliveries in remote areas and potential future Mars exploration missions.
The seamless construction of the parachute, created through laser cutting or die-cutting, simplifies deployment and attachment to payloads. Extensive testing through simulations, wind tunnels, and outdoor drops has demonstrated the parachute’s reliability and scalability for larger applications.
The research team is actively exploring new cutting patterns to enhance the parachute’s capabilities further. By varying the design, they aim to enable spiral descents, controlled gliding, and payload sorting during descent. This ongoing innovation promises a myriad of possibilities for future parachute applications.
More information:
Danick Lamoureux et al, Kirigami-inspired parachutes with programmable reconfiguration, Nature (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-09515-9
