Flexible Folding Fidget Toy

A byproduct of experimenting with thick plate folding.

Instead of traditional hinges, a mountain-shaped connection is used. This allows materials like PETG and PLA to exhibit surprisingly good flexibility.

The advantage is effortless 360-degree rotation; the disadvantage is that the elastic potential energy prevents the system from remaining stable in its folded configuration unless heated with a heat gun.

Conversely, it could be said to possess a degree of memory.

No matter how it's folded, it will automatically unfold into a flat plane when released. Tests show that after a week of being clamped in a vise, it still unfolds normally into a flat plane.

Of course, you can also heat it while folded and under pressure to change its behavior from automatically unfolding into a plane to automatically folding into the corresponding folded state.

PETG is recommended for printing, as it offers the best elasticity and stronger memory of its original stable state.

The feel is quite pleasant, with a certain damping effect. It can be squeezed into a lump like a crumpled piece of paper, then automatically returns to its original shape when released.