Fluidic origami: a plant-inspired adaptive structure with shape morphing and stiffness tuning

Inspired by the physics behind the rapid plant movements and the rich topologies in origami folding, this research creates a unique class of multi-functional adaptive structure through exploring the innovation of fluidic origami. The idea is to connect multiple Miura folded sheets along their crease lines into a space-filling structure, and fill the tubular cells in-between with working fluids. The pressure and fluid flow in these cells can be strategically controlled much like in plants for nastic movements. The relationship between the internal fluid volume and the overall structure deformation is primarily determined by the kinematics of folding. This relationship can be exploited so that fluidic origami can achieve actuation/morphing by actively changing the internal fluid volume, and stiffness tuning by constraining the fluid volume. In order to characterize the working principles and performance potentials of these two adaptive functions, this research develops an equivalent truss frame model on a fluidic origami unit cell to analyze its fundamental elastic characteristics. Eigen-stiffness analysis based on this model reveals the primary modes of deformation and their relationships with initial folding configurations. Performances of the adaptive functions are correlated to the crease pattern design. In parallel to analytical studies, the feasibility of the morphing and stiffness tuning is also examined experimentally via a 3D printed multi-material prototype demonstrator. The research reported in this paper could lead to the synthesis of adaptive fluidic origami cellular metastructures or metamaterial systems for various engineering applications.