Imagine these products made of paper:

Packaging or food containers

One simple pattern Sina made formed a highstrength structure he said is ideal for protecting fragile objects inside a box. He said when paper is folded into three- dimensional structures, the product is light, strong and cheap. He said it takes less energy to make self- folding paper than plastic. He also has a design for a small paper box, which could be used as a container for take- away food.

Insulation

Certain geometric shapes make good heat or noise insulation for buildings, Sina said. The cardboard shapes are based on an origami pattern, and the polymers make the cardboard stronger, he said.

Toys for children

He said children could have fun making the toys themselves at home using a hair dryer to turn the sheet of paper into a plane, train or doll.

Decorations

Sina started to make decorations because he wanted to fi nd a simple way to introduce the product to people. He has a lot of different geometric designs, ranging from snowflakes to Christmas trees.

Furniture

With a larger machine than the one he currently uses, Sina said his method could be used to make beds, chairs, lampshades or decorative chandeliers. He said people could buy them in a 2D format with polymers already attached and then take them home and heat them up using a hair dryer.