  Three-dimensional shell-like structures can be obtained spontaneously at the
microscale from the self-folding of 2D templates of rigid panels. At least for
simple structures, the motion of each panel is consistent with a Brownian
process and folding occurs through a sequence of binding events, where pairs of
panels meet at a specific closing angle. Here, we propose a lattice model to
describe the dynamics of self-folding. As an example, we study the folding of a
pyramid of N lateral faces. We combine analytical and numerical Monte Carlo
simulations to find how the folding time depends on the number of faces,
closing angle, and initial configuration. Implications for the study of more
complex structures are discussed.
