Journal
NATURE
Volume 592, Issue 7855, Pages 545-+Publisher
NATURE PORTFOLIO
DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03407-4
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Funding
- NSF through the Harvard University Materials Research Science and Engineering Center [DMR-1420570]
- Fund for Scientific Research-Flanders (FWO)
- DMREF grant [DMR-1922321]
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This passage discusses the design of large-scale structures with deployability, presenting two main strategies historically used and their limitations. Drawing inspiration from the Japanese art of paper folding, a novel design approach is proposed to construct large-scale inflatable systems that can lock in place after deployment.
From stadium covers to solar sails, we rely on deployability for the design of large-scale structures that can quickly compress to a fraction of their size(1-4). Historically, two main strategies have been used to design deployable systems. The first and most frequently used approach involves mechanisms comprising interconnected bar elements, which can synchronously expand and retract(5-7), occasionally locking in place through bistable elements(8,9). The second strategy makes use of inflatable membranes that morph into target shapes by means of a single pressure input(10-12.) Neither strategy, however, can be readily used to provide an enclosed domain that is able to lock in place after deployment: the integration of a protective covering in linkage-based constructions is challenging and pneumatic systems require a constant applied pressure to keep their expanded shape(13-15). Here we draw inspiration from origami-the Japanese art of paper folding-to design rigid-walled deployable structures that are multistable and inflatable. Guided by geometric analyses and experiments, we create a library of bistable origami shapes that can be deployed through a single fluidic pressure input. We then combine these units to build functional structures at the metre scale, such as arches and emergency shelters, providing a direct route for building large-scale inflatable systems that lock in place after deployment and offer a robust enclosure through their stiff faces.
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