10/15/2015 Kazuko Fuchi, Philip R. Buskohl, Giorgio Bazzan, Michael F. Durstock, Gregory W. Reich, Richard A. Vaia and James J. Joo
J. Mech. Des 137(9), 091401; doi: 10.1115/1.4030876

Origami structures morph between 2D and 3D configurations, and their efficient shape reconfigurations show potential for many engineering applications. However, the enormity of the design space and the complex relationship between origami-based geometries and engineering metrics place a severe limitation on design strategies based on intuition. This work proposes a physics-based origami design method using topology optimization that determines an optimal crease pattern for a folding by adding or removing folds based on a design metric. Optimization techniques and mechanical analysis are also co-utilized to identify an action origami building block and determine the optimal network connectivity between multiple actuators.

For the Abstract and Full Article see ASME’s Digital Collection.