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This is a new type of parachute designed using the principles of kirigami – the art of transforming paper into 3D designs with cuts and folds. It starts as a flat disc, then deploys into a spring-like 3D cone as air flows through it.

Read the paper: Kirigami-inspired parachutes with programmable reconfiguration
Instead of being buffeted by the wind, multiple slits allow the kirigami parachute to fall more accurately than conventional designs. The team behind it think that the simplicity of its construction will allow it to be cheaply mass produced, while its accuracy could make it especially useful distributing humanitarian aid.
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