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Folding at the Microscale: Enabling Multifunctional 3D Origami-Architected Metamaterials
Zhaowen Lin1, Larissa S Novelino2, Heming Wei1
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA.
Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|July 28, 2020
Summary
Origami-inspired mechanical metamaterials offer tunable properties and deployability. Microscale origami structures exhibit reversible auxeticity and shape recoverability, enabling novel applications in constrained spaces.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Mechanical Engineering
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Mechanical metamaterials inspired by origami offer unique properties like deployability and tunability.
- Origami structures provide a design space for auxeticity and high deformation recoverability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design, fabricate, and characterize microscale origami metamaterials.
- To investigate the mechanical properties of Miura-Ori tube-based origami architectures.
Main Methods:
- 3D direct laser writing for microfabrication.
- In situ scanning electron microscopy for mechanical characterization.
Main Results:
- Achieved tunable anisotropic stiffness and Poisson's ratio.
- Demonstrated large shape recoverability and multistability.
- Observed reversible auxeticity, where Poisson's ratio sign changes during deformation.
Conclusions:
- Origami metamaterials are scalable and multifunctional.
- Microscale origami engineering offers significant potential for advanced applications.
