This is actually very similar to a method of doing tessellated origami with a grid of folds. [1] I wish I could find a picture of it, but I've got an origami tessellation I folded that has this same 1 degree of freedom that allows it to be folded and unfolded by pushing and pulling. Only difference, is that instead of going flat, it turns into a spiral when you compress it. Very similar to [2]. This all being based on the work of Taketoshi Nojima.
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This is actually very similar to a method of doing tessellated origami with a grid of folds. [1] I wish I could find a picture of it, but I've got an origami tessellation I folded that has this same 1 degree of freedom that allows it to be folded and unfolded by pushing and pulling. Only difference, is that instead of going flat, it turns into a spiral when you compress it. Very similar to [2]. This all being based on the work of Taketoshi Nojima.
[1] http://spacesymmetrystructure.wordpress.com/2009/03/24/origa... [2] http://www.flickr.com/photos/53416300@N00/1028178660