Robert J. Lang
Robert J. Lang | |
---|---|
Mathematics of origami | |
Scientific career | |
Fields | Optoelectronics, physics, mathematics |
Institutions | NASA |
Robert James Lang (born May 4, 1961)[
Education and early occupation
Lang was born in
Lang began work for
Lang has authored or co-authored over 80 publications on
Origami
Lang was introduced to origami at the age of six by a teacher who had exhausted other methods of keeping him entertained in the classroom.[2] By his early teens, he was designing original origami patterns.[2] Lang used origami as an escape from the pressures of undergraduate studies. While studying at Caltech, Lang came into contact with other origami masters such as Michael LaFosse, John Montroll, Joseph Wu, and Paul Jackson through the Origami Center of America, now known as OrigamiUSA.[2]
While in
In 1990, Lang first attempted to write computer code that would solve origami problems, and the result was his first version of Tree Maker.[6] Lang takes full advantage of modern technology in his origami, including using a laser cutter to help score paper for complex folds.[7]
Lang is recognized as one of the leading theorists of the
Lang specializes in finding real-world applications for the various theories of origami he has developed. These included designing folding patterns for a German airbag manufacturer.[3] He has worked with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, California, where a team is developing a powerful space telescope, with a 100 m (328 ft) lens in the form of a thin membrane. Lang was engaged by the team to develop a way to fit the tremendous lens, known as the Eyeglass, into a small rocket in such a way that the lens can be unfolded in space and will not suffer from any permanent marks or creases.[10] Lang is the author or co-author of eight books and many articles on origami.[1] Lang also designed the Google Doodle for Akira Yoshizawa's 101st birthday, which was used by Google on March 14, 2012.[11]
Awards and honors
In 2012 he became a fellow of the American Mathematical Society.[12]
Bibliography
- The Complete Book of Origami; Dover Publications, 1988, ISBN 0-553-38016-8
- Origami Zoo (with Stephen Weiss ); St. Martin's Press, 1989, ISBN 0-312-04015-6
- Origami Sea Life (with ISBN 0-486-26765-2
- Origami Animals; Crescent, 1992 (OCLC 439612324
- Origami Insects and their Kin; Dover Publications, 1995, ISBN 0-486-28602-9
- Origami in Action; St. Martin's Press, 1996, ISBN 0-312-15618-9
- Origami Design Secrets: Mathematical Methods for an Ancient Art; A K Peters, 2003, ISBN 1-56881-194-2
- Twists, Tilings, and Tessellations: Mathematical Methods for Geometric Origami; CRC Press, 2018, ISBN 9781482262414[13]
See also
References
- ^ a b c "About Robert J. Lang". langorigami.com. Retrieved Sep 22, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g Orlean, Susan (February 19, 2007). "The Origami Lab". Onward and Upward With the Arts. The New Yorker. p. 2. Retrieved 2007-04-11.
- ^ Kirsten Sanford and Justin Jackson (July 7, 2005). "July 7, 2005 Broadcast". This Week in Science (Podcast). Archived from the originalon September 27, 2007. Retrieved April 12, 2007.
- ^ a b c Orlean, Susan (February 19, 2007). "The Origami Lab". Onward and Upward With the Arts. The New Yorker. p. 1. Retrieved 2007-04-11.
- ^ a b c Orlean, Susan (February 19, 2007). "The Origami Lab". Onward and Upward With the Arts. The New Yorker. p. 4. Retrieved 2007-04-11.
- ^ Newton, Liz (1 December 2009). "The power of origami". University of Cambridge. + plus magazine.
- ^ Orlean, Susan (February 19, 2007). "The Origami Lab". Onward and Upward With the Arts. The New Yorker. p. 3. Retrieved 2007-04-11.
- ^ Hull, Thomas (November 29, 2003). "Origami Mathematics". Merrimack College. Archived from the original on April 18, 2007. Retrieved 2007-04-12.
- ^ Lang, Robert J. (2010). "Origami and Geometric Constructions" (PDF). Robert J. Lang. Retrieved 2019-11-21.
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(help) - ^ Britt, Robert Roy (February 20, 2002). "Origami Astronomy: The Art and Science of a Giant Folding Space Telescope". Tech Wednesday. Space.com. Archived from the original on 2002-06-06. Retrieved 2007-04-12.
- ^ Albanesius, Chloe (March 14, 2012). "Origami Legend Akira Yoshizawa Honored With Google Doodle". PC Magazine. Retrieved March 14, 2012.
- ^ List of Fellows of the American Mathematical Society, retrieved 2013-01-27.
- MR3753635
External links
- Official website
- Doctoral Thesis Abstract
- Computational Origami from IT Conversations
- Robert Lang at TED
- Radio interview at The Connection
- Interview with Robert Lang, by Margaret Wertheim, featured in Cabinet magazine, Issue 17, Spring 2005
- Origami Engineering in the Fold: video report on origami telescopes
- An Origami Space Telescope
- Interview with Peter Shea at Institute for Advanced Study, University of Minnesota, March 2011
- Origami^6, American Math Society, (2015)
- Origami Insects II; Gallery Origami House, 2003
- See a NASA Physicist's Incredible Origami[permanent dead link] Southwest Daily News (video) 16 Mar 2019