Reconfigurable Foldable Spatial Mechanisms and Robotic Forms Inspired by Kinetogami

Abstract

In recent times, Origami has received an increasing research interest because of its capability to produce foldable tessellations and structures. This paper describes a new modular tetrahedral representation called “Kinetogami”. We embed the cuts and joining patterns into the crease pattern and create folded hinges across basic structural units (BSU), typically not done in Origami. We demonstrate sets of explicit 2D fabrication lay-outs and construction rules in order to fold reconfigurable structures and mechanisms in 3D by using a single flat paper sheet. The structural and combinatorial characteristics of Kinetogamic derivatives are further explored in a hierarchical manner. Inspired by Kinetogami, we design a family of multi-limbed tetrahedral robotic form that reconfigures and adapts. The kinematic properties of individual limbs are investigated and multiple gaits involving flipping, squatting/rising, squirming and slithering are synthesized for a representative hexapod robot. Our newly developed folding design paradigm provides affordances for a novel generation of robotic motion actuation and transformable reconfiguration.

Lightweight and Low-Cost Deployable Origami Antennas—A Review

“…The mechanical, electrical, and optical properties of any kinds of materials are easily tunable via the origami approaches. Many researchers have exploited this capability to design compact deployable [1] [2] and reconfigurable structures [3]. In [4] GaAs based mirror was fabricated using micro origami technique.…”

Origami-inspired active structures: a synthesis and review

“…Origami offers engineers novel ways to fabricate, assemble, store, and morph structures. Potential advantages include the capability to compactly store deployable structures (e.g., airbags [7,8]), the potential for structures to be reconfigurable [9][10][11][12], and a reduction in manufacturing complexity [13] (reduced part counts and improved assembly using collapsible/deployable parts). Furthermore, origami has been demonstrated to be applicable across scales via its applications ranging from DNA approaches at the nano-scale [14][15][16][17] to deployable structures for space exploration at the very large scale [18][19][20][21].…”