Lead the folding motion of the thick origami model under gravity

Origami have been focused on by the researchers for its foldability and deployability owing to the huge potential in architectural engineering. However, origami was rarely used in practical construction projects as structures due to the lack of systematic investigation of motion control with respect to thickness and gravity. To clarify the lifting process of the origami structure, a preliminary folding test is carried out with a small-scaled single-DOF physical origami model. Folding paths are obtained by the non-contact measurement system and the force-displacement measurement system. The experimental results are confirmed by the numerical simulation of thick origami. The invariant relationship is observed between the folding process and the driving force. Furthermore, the final configuration of the model is found to be strongly related to the location of the suspension points. The methods to realize the complete folding are suggested. Moreover, the multi-unit model is simulated aiming for the application of rapid foldable structures.