Bistable actuators for origami shape reconfiguration.

Bistable actuators for origami shape reconfiguration.  

We envision that the origami will be reconfigured into different shapes using thermally-responsive materials like shape memory alloy (SMA) and liquid crystal elastomer (LCE).  We have begun exploring ways to exploit mechanical bistability in order to maintain stable origami configurations without having to provide continuous electrical power to the actuators.  We are currently completing experimental and analytic studies on a novel bistable actuator composed of SMA wire embedded in a flexible frame that supports a stretched elastic membrane.  Electrical pulses delivered to the SMA cause the so-called “elastic minimum energy structure” to reversibly transition between stable configurations.