A Heuristic Algorithm for Rigid Foldability

Abstract

Rigid foldability is an important requirement when origami is used as the basis to design technical systems that consist of rigid materials. This paper presents a heuristic algorithm that adjusts the location of vertices of nonrigidly foldable but kinematically determinate crease patterns such that they become rigidly foldable. The adjustment is achieved by utilizing constraint violations that occur during the folding process of nonrigidly foldable configurations. The folding process is kinematically simulated through a robust simulator that is based on a bar and hinge principle. The benefits of the algorithm are showcased in different examples, including single-vertex as well as multi-vertex crease patterns.

Engineering Origami: A Comprehensive Review of Recent Applications, Design Methods, and Tools

“…Of particular interest is the work of Zimmerman and co‐workers, who implemented a heuristic algorithm to transform non rigid‐foldable crease patterns into rigid‐foldable ones by means of vertices location adjustments. [ 230 ]…”

“…Of particular interest is the work of Zimmerman and co-workers, who implemented a heuristic algorithm to transform non rigidfoldable crease patterns into rigid-foldable ones by means of vertices location adjustments. [230] Origami-based designs can be fabricated in a wide range of materials and with different fabrication methods. [231][232][233] Because the assemblage of structures achieved with such methods can be challenging, designs with a reduced number of components have been proposed.…”