Explicit kinematic equations for degree-4 rigid origami vertices, Euclidean and non-Euclidean

Lagrangian approach to origami vertex analysis: kinematics

The use of origami in engineering has significantly expanded in recent years, spanning deployable structures across scales, folding robotics and mechanical metamaterials. However, finding foldable paths can be a formidable task as the kinematics are determined by a nonlinear system of equations, often with several degrees of freedom. In this article, we leverage a Lagrangian approach to derive reduced-order compatibility conditions for rigid-facet origami vertices with reflection and rotational symmetries. Then, using the reduced-order conditions, we derive exact, multi-degree of freedom solutions for degree 6 and degree 8 vertices with prescribed symmetries. The exact kinematic solutions allow us to efficiently investigate the topology of allowable kinematics, including the consideration of a self-contact constraint, and then visually interpret the role of geometric design parameters on these admissible fold paths by monitoring the change in the kinematic topology. We then introduce a procedure to construct lower-symmetry kinematic solutions by breaking symmetry of higher-order kinematic solutions in a systematic way that preserves compatibility. The multi-degree of freedom solutions discovered here should assist with building intuition of the kinematic feasibility of higher-degree origami vertices and also facilitate the development of new algorithmic procedures for origami-engineering design.This article is part of the theme issue 'Origami/Kirigami-inspired structures: from fundamentals to applications'.

Connecting the branches of multistable non-Euclidean origami by crease stretching

Non-Euclidean origami is a promising technique for designing multistable deployable structures folded from nonplanar developable surfaces. The impossibility of flat foldability inherent to non-Euclidean origami results in two disconnected solution branches each with the same angular deficiency but opposite handedness. We show that these regions can be connected via "crease stretching," wherein the creases exhibit extensibility in addition to torsional stiffness. We further reveal that crease stretching acts as an energy storage method capable of passive deployment and control. Specifically, we show that in a Miura-Ori system with a single stretchable crease, this is achieved via two unique, easy to realize, equilibrium folding pathways for a certain wide set of parameters. In particular, we demonstrate that this connection mostly preserves the stable states of the non-Euclidean system, while resulting in a third stable state enabled only by the interaction of crease torsion and stretching. Finally, we show that this simplified model can be used as an efficient and robust tool for inverse design of multistable origami based on closed-form predictions that yield the system parameters required to attain multiple, desired stable shapes. This facilitates the implementation of multistable origami for applications in architecture materials, robotics, and deployable structures.