Implementing Origami-Based Mechanisms Through Modeling of Mechanical Advantage and Developing Self-Deploying Configurations

Room # EB402

This work provides an overview of two developments in origami-based mechanism design. Past methods of predicting mechanical advantage in compliant mechanisms were adapted to predict the mechanical advantage in multi-input origami-based mechanisms. The model was verified against experimental testing of an origami-based mechanism. A method for creating selfdeploying flat-foldable thick origami was proposed with details to guide the design of a single vertex. This method was demonstrated in physical prototypes. The mechanical advantage model and Regionally-Sandwiching of Compliant Sheets (ReCS) technique proposed in this work should serve to make origami-based mechanisms more capable of aiding NASA in their objectives.