  We propose a novel type of planar-to-spatial deployable structures that we
call elastic geodesic grids. Our approach aims at the approximation of freeform
surfaces with spatial grids of bent lamellas which can be deployed from a
planar configuration using a simple kinematic mechanism. Such elastic
structures are easy-to-fabricate and easy-to-deploy and approximate shapes
which combine physics and aesthetics. We propose a solution based on networks
of geodesic curves on target surfaces and we introduce a set of conditions and
assumptions which can be closely met in practice. Our formulation allows for a
purely geometric approach which avoids the necessity of numerical shape
optimization by building on top of theoretical insights from differential
geometry. We propose a solution for the design, computation, and physical
simulation of elastic geodesic grids, and present several fabricated
small-scale examples with varying complexity. Moreover, we provide an empirical
proof of our method by comparing the results to laser-scans of the fabricated
models. Our method is intended as a form-finding tool for elastic gridshells in
architecture and other creative disciplines and should give the designer an
easy-to-handle way for the exploration of such structures.
