Watch as a flat stack of paper springs to life like magic, instantly becoming a three-dimensional penguin in the blink of an eye.
In the past, we’ve fawned over magical origami cloths and delicately folded paper bird pouches, but now it’s time to be amazed by a different type of papercraft altogether.
This video shows the amazing “Penguin Bomb” paper creation in action, where it starts off as a flat, folded stack of cardboard. Once it’s dropped on the table, though, the flat stack magically springs to life, turning into a plump penguin!
The unique design has caught everyone’s attention online, with the video receiving close to 300,000 likes in just a few days.
Designed by Haruki Nakamura, it turns out that this little guy has been on the market for a while now, albeit in different designs. Now the penguin has been joined by several more creations, which can all be purchased, flat-pack style, in the form of a book.
This type of papercraft is called “Kamikara“, which is an amalgamation of the Japanese words for paper (kami) and mechanism, or trick (karakuri). Using a series of folds and connections, this ingenious paper mechanism folds and unfolds in one swift movement, with the key being the tab on the bottom, which automatically unfurls the design when it comes into contact with a flat surface.
Take a look at the kamikara in more detail below:
In this slow-motion video, you can see the adorable unfurling process more clearly.
Though the “Penguin Bomb” is one of the cutest kamikara examples we’ve seen, there are also a number of other cute animals available to make too.
Customers who purchase the designs, which are collated and sold in book format, are required to follow some simple step-by-step instructions in order to assemble each creation. Once you understand the mechanics behind the wizardry, there’s no limit to where this knowledge will take you, as shown by this designer, who crafted their very own Penguin Bomb made from wood.
The Penguin Bomb appears in the book “Paper Mechanism: Let’s play with Kamikara!“, which also includes animals like koalas and rabbits, and a papercraft version of Funassyi, the beloved pear mascot who unofficially represents the city of Funabashi, in Chiba Prefecture.
The book retails for 1,944 yen (US$17.75) and can be purchased from Japanese bookstores or online retailers like Rakuten and Amazon Japan.
Source, images: Twitter/@phil0x0