An efficient numerical approach for simulating contact in origami assemblages

Origami-inspired structures provide novel solutions to many engineering applications. The presence of self-contact within origami patterns has been difficult to simulate, yet it has significant implications for the foldability, kinematics and resulting mechanical properties of the final origami system. To open up the full potential of origami engineering, this paper presents an efficient numerical approach that simulates the panel contact in a generalized origami framework. The proposed panel contact model is based on the principle of stationary potential energy and assumes that the contact forces are conserved. The contact potential is formulated such that both the internal force vector and the stiffness matrix approach infinity as the distance between the contacting panel and node approaches zero. We use benchmark simulations to show that the model can correctly capture the kinematics and mechanics induced by contact. By tuning the model parameters accordingly, this methodology can simulate the thickness in origami. Practical examples are used to demonstrate the validity, efficiency and the broad applicability of the proposed model.