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This is a 3D-printable flasher pattern based on the work of Shannon Zirbel, Robert Lang, and several others. It demonstrates the ability of the flasher pattern to go from a flat state to a much more compact, folded state, all while moving with a single degree of freedom.
This model is best printed in PLA, or some other similarly flexible material. The model, at its current scaling, is intended to be printed with two 0.1mm layers as the base. This ensures that all folds have something close to two orthogonal layers of filament on which to bend (printing with a single 0.2mm thick bottom layer will mean that at least two of the hinges will break very easily. See this post for a tutorial on how to make your own living hinges). Here is a tutorial on how to modify individual layer heights in PrusaSlicer.
You're welcome to experiment with printing the first two layers out of a more flexible material, and then printing the remaining layers with something stiffer. PLA worked fine for the three demos we made.
| hexagonal_flasher.STL | 19.6KB | |
| hexagonal_flasher_rigid_foldable.STL | 17.3KB |
