Collapsible thick plate origami opens up endless possibilities. For the first time, engineers at the University of Michigan have demonstrated that load-bearing structures such as bridges and shelters can be built using origami modules. These versatile components can be compactly folded and deformed into a variety of shapes. Advances in this technology can help communities quickly rebuild facilities and systems damaged or destroyed in natural disasters, or build in places previously considered impractical, including outer space. This technology can also be used in buildings that need to be built and demolished quickly, such as concert venues and event stages.
Yi Zhu, a researcher in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, has an origami design that can be folded into something that fits in a pocket and unfolded into something longer. Photo credit: Brenda Ahearn/University of Michigan School of Engineering, Communication & Marketing
土木与环境工程系和机械工程系副教授 Evgueni Filipov 是《自然-通讯》(Nature Communications)杂志上这项研究的通讯作者。
The principles of origami art allow larger materials to be folded and folded into smaller spaces. As modular building systems become more and more accepted, so do the applications of components that can be easily stored and transported.
From left: Yi Zhu, a researcher in mechanical engineering, and Evgueni Filipov, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering and mechanical engineering, work in a lab at the George Brown Laboratory Building. Filipov and Zhu are using origami principles to create modular uniform thickened origami (MUTO) for large, load-bearing, adaptable structures. These structures can be used to construct temporary structures such as stages or concert venues, as well as to construct structures such as buildings or bridges in response to natural disasters. Source: Brenda Ahearn/University of Michigan College of Engineering, Communications & Marketing
For years, researchers have been working to create origami systems that can both hold the necessary weight while maintaining the ability to deploy and reconfigure quickly. Engineers at the University of Massachusetts have created an origami system that solves this problem. The products that can be manufactured by this system include:
- The 3.3-foot-tall column can hold 2.1 tons while weighing just over 16 pounds on its own, with a base footprint of less than 1 square foot.
- A package that can be expanded from a 1.6-foot-wide cube can be deployed into different structures, including: a 13-foot-long pedestrian bridge, a 6.5-foot-tall bus stop, and a 13-foot-tall column.
The key to the breakthrough lies in the different design approaches offered by Yi Zhu, a mechanical engineering researcher and first author of the study.
"When people are working on the concept of origami, they usually start with the concept of a tissue paper folding model – let's say your material is tissue paper," Zhu says. "However, in order to use origami to build common structures such as bridges and bus stops, we needed mathematical tools that could directly consider the thickness in the initial origami design. "
Evgueni Filipov, an associate professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Department of Mechanical Engineering, demonstrates different folds and structures with a small model in the laboratory. Photo credit: Brenda Ahearn/University of Michigan School of Engineering, Communication & Marketing
In order to enhance the load-bearing capacity, many researchers have experimented with thickening paper-thin designs at different parts. However, a team of researchers at the University of Massachusetts found that uniformity is key.
"Add one layer of thickness here, another layer there, and there will be a mismatch," Filippov said. When a load passes through these parts, it causes bending. Consistency in part thickness is key and is something that many current origami systems lack. With this, combined with the proper locking device, the weight on the structure is evenly transmitted over the entire structure. "
In addition to carrying enormous loads, this system, known as the Modular Uniform Thickness Origami-inspired Structural System, is able to adjust its shape to bridges, walls, floors, columns, and many other structures.
编译来源：ScitechDaily