https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/advs.202000636

Engineering Origami: A Comprehensive Review of Recent Applications, Design Methods, and Tools

Inspired by the morphology characteristics of the earthworms and the excellent deformability of origami structures, this research creates a novel earthworm-like locomotion robot through exploiting the origami techniques. In this innovation, appropriate actuation mechanisms are incorporated with origami ball structures into the earthworm-like robot 'body', and the earthworm's locomotion mechanism is mimicked to develop a gait generator as the robot 'centralized controller'. The origami ball, which is a periodic repetition of waterbomb units, could output significant bidirectional (axial and radial) deformations in an antagonistic way similar to the earthworm's body segment. Such bidirectional deformability can be strategically programmed by designing the number of constituent units. Experiments also indicate that the origami ball possesses two outstanding mechanical properties that are beneficial to robot development: one is the structural multistability in the axil direction that could contribute to the robot control implementation; and the other is the structural compliance in the radial direction that would increase the robot robustness and applicability. To validate the origami-based innovation, this research designs and constructs three robot segments based on different axial actuators: DC-motor, shape-memory-alloy springs, and pneumatic balloon. Performance evaluations reveal their merits and limitations, and to prove the concept, the DC-motor actuation is selected for building a six-segment robot prototype. Learning from earthworms' fundamental locomotion mechanism-retrograde peristalsis wave, seven gaits are automatically generated; controlled by which, the robot could achieve effective locomotion with qualitatively different modes and a wide range of average speeds. The outcomes of this research could lead to the development of origami locomotion robots with low fabrication costs, high customizability, light weight, good scalability, and excellent re-configurability.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-3190/aa8448/pdf

Origami-based earthworm-like locomotion robots.

Vibration control based metamaterials and origami structures: A state-of-the-art review

Emerging interest to synthesize active, engineered matter suggests a future where smart material systems and structures operate autonomously around people, serving diverse roles in engineering, medical, and scientific applications Similar to biological organisms, a realization of active, engineered matter necessitates functionality culminating from a combination of sensory and control mechanisms in a versatile material frame Recently, metamaterial platforms with integrated sensing and control have been exploited, so that outstanding non-natural material behaviors are empowered by synergistic microstructures and controlled by smart materials and systems This emerging body of science around active mechanical metamaterials offers a first glimpse at future foundations for autonomous engineered systems referred to here as soft, smart matter Using natural inspirations, synergy across disciplines, and exploiting multiple length scales as well as multiple physics, researchers are devising compelling exemplars of actively controlled metamaterials, inspiring concepts for autonomous engineered matter While scientific breakthroughs multiply in these fields, future technical challenges remain to be overcome to fulfill the vision of soft, smart matter This Review surveys the intrinsically multidisciplinary body of science targeted to realize soft, smart matter via innovations in active mechanical metamaterials and proposes ongoing research targets that may deliver the promise of autonomous, engineered matter to full fruition

https://www.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/advs.202001384

Foundations for Soft, Smart Matter by Active Mechanical Metamaterials.

An origami inspired quasi-zero stiffness vibration isolator using a novel truss-spring based stack Miura-ori structure

Compliant joints have a number of advantages that make them suitable for highly constrained design problems. While much work has been done on the design of compliant joints manufactured from planar sheet materials, this work focuses on the design of cylindrically-curved joints. A method for using lamina emergent torsional (LET) joints to increase energy storage efficiency in curved sheet materials is presented. A numerical model is provided for predicting the stiffness and maximum applied moment of a curved LET joint. Predicted curved LET joint stiffnesses and maximum moments are utilized to create shape factors that produce an effective modulus of elasticity and an effective modulus of resilience. For a given case, the effective modulus of elasticity is shown to decrease by about three orders of magnitude while the effective resilience decreases by approximately one order of magnitude. Designers can use this information to tailor materials to fit design requirements or to select alternative materials that were previously unsuited for an application.

https://par.nsf.gov/servlets/purl/10092370

Modified Material Properties in Curved Panels Through Lamina Emergent Torsional Joints


 Stopping origami in arbitrary fold states can present a challenge for origami-based design. In this paper two categories of kirigami-based models are presented for stopping the fold motion of individual creases using deployable hard stops. These models are transcrease (across a crease) and deploy from a flat sheet. The first category is planar and has behavior similar to a four-bar linkage. The second category is spherical and behaves like a degree-4 origami vertex. These models are based on the zero-thickness assumption of paper and can be applied to origami patterns made from thin materials, limiting the motion of the base origami pattern through self-interference within the original facets. Model parameters are based on a desired fold or dihedral angle, as well as facet dimensions. Examples show model benefits and limitations.

Kirigami-Based Deployable Transcrease Hard Stop Models Usable in Origami Patterns

\n Mechanisms that can both deploy and provide motions to perform desired tasks offer a multifunctional advantage over traditional mechanisms. Developable mechanisms (DMs) are devices capable of conforming to a predetermined developable surface and deploying from that surface to achieve specific motions. This paper builds on the previously identified behaviors of extramobility and intramobility by introducing the terminology of extramobile and intramobile motions, which define the motion of developable mechanisms while interior and exterior to a developable surface. The limits of motion are identified using defined conditions. It is shown that the more difficult of these conditions to kinematically predict may be treated as a non-factor during the design of cylindrical developable mechanisms given certain assumptions. The impact of toggle positions for each case is discussed. Physical prototypes demonstrate the results.

Limits of extramobile and intramobile motion of cylindrical developable mechanisms

An origami bellows includes a plurality of layers including a support layer having a diameter that remains fixed irrespective of axial expansion or compression of the origami bellows. The origami bellows may be used as an anti-buckling device providing lateral support to a catheter or other elongated medical instrument.

Deployable bellows for delivery of a flexible, elongate device and methods of use


 We present a resource for designing bistable developable mechanisms (BDMs) that reach their second stable positions while exterior or interior to a cylindrical surface. Analysis of the necessary conditions to create extramobile and intramobile cylindrical BDMs is conducted through a series of three tests. These tests contain elements of both existing and new mechanism design tools, including a novel graphical method for identifying stable positions of linkages using a single dominant torsional spring, called the principle of reflection. These tests are applied to all possible mechanism cases and configurations to identify why certain configurations will always, sometimes, or never be a BDM. Two tables summarize these results as a guide when designing extramobile and intramobile BDMs. The results are compared and demonstrated with a numerical simulation of 30,000+ mechanisms, including several example mechanisms that illustrate the concepts discussed in the work. Discussion is then provided on the implication of these results.

Jared Butler

Papers

Modified Material Properties in Curved Panels Through Lamina Emergent Torsional Joints

Kirigami-Based Deployable Transcrease Hard Stop Models Usable in Origami Patterns

Limits of extramobile and intramobile motion of cylindrical developable mechanisms

Deployable bellows for delivery of a flexible, elongate device and methods of use

Bistability in Cylindrical Developable Mechanisms Through the Principle of Reflection