The Origami Forum

Hi everyone!
anyone knows anything about the self timer jumping origami frog?

It's non-existent. If you've seen it on a video, then it was a trick and not real.

That's not to say it's impossible. Design your own!

origami_8 wrote:It's non-existent. If you've seen it on a video, then it was a trick and not real.

I saw it on TV, don't know if its for real? But I'm thinking it is possible if we can make use of the paper's friction as the timer

! wrote:That's not to say it's impossible. Design your own!

nothing is impossible in the world of origami

The frog on the TV show, the Mentalist, is not correctly folded so as to be a timed, self-jumping frog.

However, if you take the lead, you may be able to design something wonderful...

- Hank Simon

I don't watch this show so i didn't know about the frog. For those interested it can be watched at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfRsLNN4CVE

so it was a trick! but it will be really cool if its real

Well don't give up, maybe you can invent an Origami time-delay mechanism.... an Origami timer

- Hank Simon

Where's Firstfold when you need him

Well, you could probably make a mechanism to let it jump later by folding only, but it would be near to impossible to hide it in the frog. Your best bet would be to put a magnet inside the frog and make a mechanism under the table that contains a second magnet. When you are away you would have to bring the magnet under the table up fast to make the frog jump away. The frog would have to be placed exactly over the point where the second magnet will end after being released. The mechanism could contain a stick that is pulled downward by a string. This string would need to be released somehow, either by placing a candle below or if you make it long enough but manage to hide it somehow you could just cut it free. The important part is that the magnet from under the table moves upwards very fast to make the frog above jump.

Hmmm, the problem with that is that the frog could just get pushed sideways out of the way instead of upward. A mechanical spring assembly would probably be more reliable.

i've seen the video... it's not real XD i dont think that an origami could conserve energy for a long time, then release it... maybe you could ask mr lang about that

I've seen in some book a model that stands up on its own. As the paper spreads apart, its center of gravity changes, making it stand up. I think it's in the book Advanced Origami by Didier Boursin (I don't have the book myself, so I'm trying to remember), and looking at the table of contents in Amazon, I think it's the Magic Lever model.

Edit:
Also, don't forget Jeremy Shafer's Flasher model. He wetfolds the paper into a shape, then when it's spread out and let go, it wants to return to its wetfolded shape.

Assuming that the frog was wetfolded into a particular state, then when it was set on the table, part of it could have been stretched out. As the paper slowly crept back to the wetfolded state, it could trigger a jump, although maybe not that high.

Anyone willing to fold a "test" model. If we get a tiny hop, or a little creep, we could work on height and delay from there.

- Hank Simon