Design and Research of Multi-state Origami Cube Based on Metamorphic Principle

doi:10.3901/JME.260408

Abstract

Abstract: Origami cubes are spatially enclosed polyhedral structures designed with creases and slits to achieve functions of folding and deployment. The advantages of good interchangeability, high modularity, and flexible scalability render the cubes valuable in aerospace and civil applications such as on-orbit assembly, reconfigurable robotics, and emergency rescue equipment. To address the needs for limited transportation space, multi-task and multi-condition applications, a multi-state origami cube structure and design method that can reverse between two and three dimensions and transform between large plane, box, and small plane are proposed based on the metamorphic principle. Firstly, according to the metamorphic principle, the topological structure of the mechanism is changed by merging and separating components, enabling the box to have two motion stages: large plane deployment and small plane folding. Secondly, based on graph theory, the connections between single-loop mechanisms are analyzed, and the kinematic model of the mechanism is established using the D-H method and vector method. Thirdly, the vertex-splitting method is used to split the six-crease into a combination of two five-creases, thereby reducing the DOF of the mechanism's motion to optimize the motion process. Finally, the thick-panel metamorphic origami cube is designed by combining the offset panel method and the axis shifting method, and a parameterized thick-panel model is established. The research results show that the thick-panel metamorphic origami cube has two single-DOF motion stages, and the mechanism exhibits self-locking characteristics in the cube state. This study can provide reference and guidance for the basic and applied research of origami engineering.

Key words: metamorphic mechanism, rigid origami, multi-state transformation, cube, mechanism kinematics

CLC Number:

TH112

JIN Lu, PEI Junjie, TIAN Dake, LIU Rongqiang, ZHONG Linsen. Design and Research of Multi-state Origami Cube Based on Metamorphic Principle[J]. Journal of Mechanical Engineering, 2026, 62(9): 75-87.

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http://www.cjmenet.com.cn/EN/Y2026/V62/I9/75

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