Hikarigami

Hikarigami — from the Japanese hikari (light) and kirigami (paper cutting) — is a luminaire that merges computational design with robotic fabrication. The process starts with flat aluminum sheets: a laser cuts variable lattice patterns derived from computational simulations, then an ABB robotic arm reshapes the planar material into spatial form using single-point incremental forming — no molds or conventional tooling required. The lattice varies in density and geometry across six formed panels, influencing how the aluminum bends and refracts light. When illuminated, the panels function as both diffuser and lens, casting shifting caustic patterns. The robot here is not a replacement for the maker — it is the instrument through which folding logic becomes precise and materially coherent, with the craft emerging from the interplay of computation, machine, and material.