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NYC Teen Wins $25K for Origami Shelter Design That Holds More Than 9,000× Its Weight

Miles Wu, 14, of New York City, won the $25,000 top prize at the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge for a shelter concept using the Miura-ori origami fold. Presented in Washington, D.C., his configuration demonstrated the ability to support more than 9,000 times its own weight and was selected from 30 finalists out of about 2,000 students. Wu developed the idea after studying recent natural disasters, ran controlled tests on fold angle and segment length, and plans to continue developing the design for lightweight, rapidly deployable emergency shelters.

12:53 AM, 12/04/2025Technology
NYC Teen Wins $25K for Origami Shelter Design That Holds More Than 9,000× Its Weight

Fourteen-year-old Miles Wu of New York City won the $25,000 top prize at the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge for an engineering project based on origami folding patterns.

Presenting in Washington, D.C., Wu demonstrated how the Miura-ori — a repeating pleated fold that collapses and expands in a single motion — can be configured to support more than 9,000 times its own weight. His entry was chosen by judges from 30 finalists who advanced from roughly 2,000 students nationwide.

Inspiration and research

Wu said the concept grew from his response to recent natural disasters, including January's wildfires in Southern California and Hurricane Helene, which struck the Southeast in 2024. He researched how origami principles are applied across STEM fields, from medical devices and compact engineering systems to deployable space structures, and focused on adapting those principles for emergency shelters.

Testing and findings

At home, Wu tested multiple Miura-ori configurations using controlled weight measurements to see how small changes in fold angle and segment length affected strength and compactness. He explained that the pattern appealed to him because it is lightweight, strong and collapses very compactly — qualities valuable for rapidly deployable shelters.

Miles Wu: 'A problem with current deployable structures and emergency shelters is that they’re often strong but not compact, or compact but not easily deployable. Miura-ori could potentially combine strength, compactness and fast deployment.'

Wu also noted that the Miura-ori was originally developed for efficiently folding large surfaces and has been studied for uses such as map folding and spaceborne solar arrays. Competition organizers said his results could inform future work on lightweight, rapidly deployable emergency shelters. Wu plans to continue refining the design as he moves toward higher education and collaboration with mentors.

Why it matters: If scaled and engineered for real-world conditions, origami-based shelter systems could offer first responders and displaced communities faster, lighter and stronger temporary housing options.

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