devices, [26,27] to small-scale nano- [28][29][30] and DNA origamis. [31] A common theme in these studies is to exploit the sophisticated shape transformations from folding. For example, an origami robot is typically fabricated in a 2D flat configuration and then folded into the prescribed 3D shape to perform its tasks. The origamis have been treated essentially as linkage mechanisms in which rigid facets rotate around hingelike creases (aka "rigid-folding origami"). Elastic deformation of the constituent sheet materials or the dynamics of folding are often neglected. Such a limitation in scope indeed resonates the origin of this field, that is, folding was initially considered as a topic in geometry and kinematics.However, the increasingly diverse applications of origami require us to understand the force-deformation relationship and other mechanical properties of folded structures. Over the last decade, studies in this field started to expand beyond design and kinematics and into the domain of mechanics and dynamics. Catalyzed by this development, a family of architected origami materials quickly emerged (Figure 1). These materials are essentially assemblies of origami sheets or modules with carefully designed crease patterns. The kinematics of folding still plays an important role in creating certain properties of these origami materials. For example, rigid folding of the classical Miura-ori sheet induces an in-plane deformation pattern with auxetic properties (aka negative Poisson's ratios). [32,33] However, elastic energy in the deformed facets and creases, combined with their intricate spatial distributions, impart the origami materials with a rich list of desirable and even unorthodox properties that were never examined in origami before. For example, the Ron-Resch fold creates a unique tri-fold structure where pairs of triangular facets are oriented vertically to the overall origami sheet and pressed against each other. Such an arrangement can effectively resist buckling and create very high compressive load bearing capacity. [34] Other achieved properties include shape-reconfiguration, tunable nonlinear stiffness and dynamic characteristics, multistability, and impact absorption.Since the architected origami materials obtain their unique properties from the 3D geometries of the constituent sheets or modules, they can be considered a subset of architected cellular solids or mechanical metamaterials. [35][36][37][38][39] However, the origami materials have many unique characteristics. The rich geometries of origami offer us great freedom to tailor targeted Origami, the ancient Japanese art of paper folding, is not only an inspiring technique to create sophisticated shapes, but also a surprisingly powerful method to induce nonlinear mechanical properties. Over the last decade, advances in crease design, mechanics modeling, and scalable fabrication have fostered the rapid emergence of architected origami materials. These materials typically consist of folded origami sheets or modules with intricate 3D geomet...
This study investigates a unique asymmetric quasi-zero stiffness (QZS) property from the pressurized fluidic origami cellular structure, and examines the feasibility and efficiency of using this nonlinear property for low-frequency vibration isolation. This QZS property of fluidic origami stems from the nonlinear geometric relationships between folding and internal volume change, and it can be programmed by tailoring the constituent Miura-Ori crease design. Different fluidic origami cellular structure designs are introduced and examined to obtain a guideline for achieving QZS property. A proof-of-concept prototype is fabricated to experimentally validate the feasibility of acquiring QZS. Moreover, a comprehensive dynamic analysis is conducted based on numerical simulation and harmonic balance method approximation. The results suggest that the QZS property of fluidic origami can successfully isolate base excitation at low frequencies. In particular, this study carefully examines the effects of an inherent asymmetry in the force-displacement curve of pressurized fluidic origami. It is found that such asymmetry could significantly increase the transmissibility index with certain combinations of excitation amplitude and frequency, and it could also induce a drift response. Outcome of this research can lay the foundation for new origami-inspired multi-functional metamaterials and meta-structures with embedded dynamic functionalities. Moreover, the investigations into the asymmetry in force-displacement relationship provide valuable insights for many other QZS structures with similar properties.
This research investigates the potential effects of utilizing nonlinear springs on the performance of robotic jumping mechanisms. As a theoretical example, we study dynamic characteristics of a jumping mechanism consisting of two masses connected by a generic nonlinear spring, which is characterized by a piecewise linear function. The goal of this study is to understand how the nonlinearity in spring stiffness can impact the jumping performance. To this end, non-dimensional equations of motion of the jumping mechanism are derived and then used extensively for both analytical and numerical investigations. The nonlinear force-displacement curve of the spring is divided into two sections: compression and tension. We examine the influences of these two sections of spring stiffness on the overall performance of the jumping mechanism. It is found that compression section of the nonlinear spring can significantly increase energy storage and thus enhance the jumping capabilities dramatically. We also found that the tension section of the nonlinear force-displacement curve does not affect the jumping performance of the center of gravity, however, it has a significant impact on the internal oscillations of the mechanism. Results of this study can unfold the underlying principles of harnessing nonlinear springs in jumping mechanisms and may lead to the emergence of more efficient hopping and jumping systems and robots in the future.
Via numerical simulation and experimental assessment, this study examines the use of origami folding to develop robotic jumping mechanisms with tailored nonlinear stiffness to improve dynamic performance. We propose a multifunctional structure where the load-carrying skeleton of the structure acts as the energy-storage medium at the same time. Specifically, we use Tachi–Miura polyhedron (TMP) bellow origami—which exhibits a nonlinear ‘strain-softening’ force-displacement curve—as a jumping robotic skeleton with embedded energy storage. TMP’s nonlinear stiffness allows it to store more energy than a linear spring and offers improved jumping height and airtime. Moreover, the nonlinearity can be tailored by directly changing the underlying TMP crease geometry. A critical challenge is to minimize the TMP’s hysteresis and energy loss during its compression stage right before jumping. So we used the plastically annealed lamina emergent origami (PALEO) concept to modify the TMP creases. PALEO increases the folding limit before plastic deformation occurs, thus improving the overall strain energy retention. Jumping experiments confirmed that a nonlinear TMP mechanism achieved roughly 9% improvement in air time and a 13% improvement in jumping height compared to a ‘control’ TMP sample with a relatively linear stiffness. This study’s results validate the advantages of using origami in robotic jumping mechanisms and demonstrate the benefits of utilizing nonlinear spring elements for improving jumping performance. Therefore, they could foster a new family of energetically efficient jumping mechanisms with optimized performance in the future.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.