About Origami Mechanisms

What is a mechanism?

A mechanism is a mechanical device used to transfer or transform motion, force, or energy. Mechanisms typically use links and pin joints to achieve their motion.

What is Origami?

Origami is the Japanese term for the ancient art of folding paper. It typically involves patterns of creases arranged to create shapes and forms.

Paper is uniquely suited

Origami-Inspired Mechanisms

While originally used as an art and craft, it has evolved to be a valuable inspiration for engineered systems. The images below show how a practical, engineered system can be created using a simple origami pattern.

In the left image, the mechanism is modeled as a simple origami paper pattern. The right image shows the pattern adapted as a barrier that can fold flat and then be rapidly deployed.

Research was recently published on origami-inspired mechanism design in the journal Mechanical Sciences.

See the publication

To allow motion, the mechanism's folding lines must operate similarly to the paper pattern regardless of hinge used. Origami-inspired mechanisms can be created from a wide variety of materials. Below is an animation showing the evolution of an origami-inspired mechanism from paper prototype to finished design.

Advantages of Origami-Inspired Mechanisms

Prototyping is fast and cheap because it can be done with paper before using other materials. Instead of relying on laser cutting or 3D-printing, rapid prototyping is possible using only hands and paper.

Many resources and patterns already exist that can be adapted for engineering purposes. Books and papers have been written and published detailing how designs can be created and modified. Because it is such an ancient art, a lot of legwork has been done already.

Publications on Thick-Folding Origami

Thick folding, which is the application of origami principles to thick materials like wood or plastic, can prove challenging. This is because considerations must be taken for the flexible segments to deliver the same motion their paper counterparts could easily achieve. This creates unique challenges in the design of panel and hinges. Here are a number of publications that we and others have released on overcoming these challenges.

Creating Linkage Permutations to Prevent Self-Intersection and Enable Deployable Networks of Thick-Origami
Alden Yellowhorse, Robert J. Lang, Kyler A. Tolman, Larry L. Howell
Scientific Reports, Vol. 8, Paper 12936
2018 August

An Origami-based Thickness-accommodating Bistable Mechanism in Monolithic Thick-sheet Materials
Nathan A Pehrson, Spencer P Magleby, Larry L Howell
Proceedings of the 4th IEEE/IFToMM International Conference on Reconfigurable Mechanisms & Robotics
2018 June

A Review of Thickness-Accommodation Techniques in Origami-Inspired Engineering
Robert J. Lang, Kyler A. Tolman, Erica Crampton, Spencer P. Magleby, Larry L. Howell
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Applied Mechanics Reviews
2018 February

Split-Vertex Technique for Thickness-Accommodation in Origami-Based Mechanisms
Kyler A. Tolman, Robert J. Lang, Spencer P. Magleby, Larry L. Howell
Proceedings of the ASME International Design Engineering Technical Conferences
2017 August

Thick Rigidly Foldable Origami Mechanisms Based on Synchronized Offset Rolling Contact Elements
Robert J. Lang, Todd Nelson, Spencer Magleby, Larry Howell
ASME, The American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Vol. 9
2017 April

Introduction of monolithic origami with thick-sheet materials
Nathan A Pehrson, Spencer P Magleby, Larry L. Howell, Robert J. Lang
Proceedings of the IASS Annual Symposium 2016, Spatial Structures in the 21st Century
2016 September

Thick Rigidly Foldable Origami Mechanisms Based on Synchronized Offset Rolling Contact Elements
Robert J. Lang, Todd Nelson, Spencer Magleby, Larry Howell
Proceedings of the ASME 2016 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences and Computers and Information in Engineering Conferenc
2016 August

Towards Developing Product Applications of Thick Origami Using the Offset Panel Technique
Morgan, M.R., Lang, R.J., Magleby, S.P., Howell, L.L.
Mechanical Sciences, Vol. 7, pp. 69-77
2016 March

Thick Rigidly Foldable Structures Realized by an Offset Panel Technique
Edmondson, B.J., Lang, R.J., Morgan, M.R., Magleby, S.P., Howell, L.L.
Origami 6, Vol. 1, pp. 149-161
2015 December

Quantifying and Comparing Surrogate Fold Motions in Thick Sheet Materials
Allen, J.T., Magleby, S.P., Howell, L.L.
Proceedings of the ASME 2015 Conference on Smart Materials, Adaptive Structures and Intelligent Systems, SMASIS2015-9066
2015 September

An Offset Panel Technique for Thick Rigidly Foldable Origami
Edmondson, B.J., Lang, R.J., Magleby, S.P., Howell, L.L.
ASME International Design Engineering Technical Conferences
2014 September

Accommodating Thickness in Origami-Based Deployable Arrays
Zirbel, S.A., Lang, R.J., Thompson, M.W., Sigel, D.A., Walkemeyer, P.E., Trease, B.P. Magelby, S.P., Howell, L.L.
Journal of Mechanical Design, Vol. 135, Issue 11
2013 June