This paper presents a framework for the design, fabrication, and experimental testing of self-folding origami structures that deform from two-dimensional forms towards three-dimensional goal shapes of arbitrary local Gaussian curvature via uniform heating. Due to the general inability of the widely employed unfolding polyhedra method to generate origami designs for structures having negative Gaussian curvature, a tuck-folding method is implemented for self-folding composites driven by shape memory polymer actuation. As implementation examples, meshes of a pyramid, a saddle, and a combination of both are chosen to represent surfaces of positive and negative Gaussian curvature, and all three structures are shown to successfully fold towards their intended goal shape. The presented framework can be applied to origami design problems that consider other goal shapes and active materials.

Date Published: 29 March 2019
PDF: 12 pages
Proc. SPIE 10968, Behavior and Mechanics of Multifunctional Materials XIII, 109680R (29 March 2019); doi: 10.1117/12.2514906

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 10968:
Behavior and Mechanics of Multifunctional Materials XIII
Hani E. Naguib, Editor(s)