- Bill Freeman invented a three-sided zipper in 1985, but it was rejected by a design competition; he patented it and stored the prototype for nearly 40 years.
- MIT CSAIL revived Freeman’s concept with the Y-Zipper, a 3D-printed fastener that reversibly switches flexible strips into a rigid, load-bearing triangular beam.
- The Y-Zipper is customizable via CSAIL’s software, allowing users to set strip length, bend angle, and motion configurations like straight, arch, coil, or twist.
- Potential applications include camping gear, medical equipment, robotic limbs, art installations, spacecraft tentacles, and rapid-assembly disaster relief structures.
- The invention challenges the assumption that rigidity and flexibility are fixed material properties, enabling objects to be soft for transport and rigid for use.
- Current Y-Zippers use plastic filaments; future metal versions could offer greater durability and strength, with scaling up to larger structures in progress.
- The story highlights the value of not dismissing innovative ideas prematurely, as tools and technology may eventually catch up to them.