Characterization of Self-folding Origami Structures Using Magneto-active Elastomers
Open Access
- Author:
- Sung, Elaine Lin
- Area of Honors:
- Mechanical Engineering
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Science
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Mary I Frecker, Thesis Supervisor
Zoubeida Ounaies, Thesis Honors Advisor - Keywords:
- origami
engineering
magnet
elastomer
active material - Abstract:
- Origami engineering is a branch of science that applies traditional Japanese paper-folding techniques to engineering solutions. The use of smart structures and active materials in origami engineering is an innovative method to initiate folding and bending in structures without relying on manual folding or manipulation. An example that illustrates this concept is a two-fold accordion structure made with magneto-active elastomer (MAE) patches. When placed in a magnetic field, the hard-magnetic particles in the MAE patches attempt to align with the field, thus causing a torque that actuates bending in the accordion structure. The focus of this paper is on characterizing the behavior of an MAE folding accordion structure by understanding the relationships between the applied magnetic field, displacement of the structure during actuation, and the resultant reaction force generated. This report describes fabrication of the accordion structure, experimental set-up, data analysis, finite element modeling of the structure, and a comparison between the experimental data and the model predictions. The experimental data confirm that force increases with increasing magnetic field, and the work done by the structure can be calculated by integrating the force as a function of displacement. The predictions of the finite element analysis model are in good agreement with the measured data. Recommendations on future improvements in experimentation and modeling are presented based on the results of this work. The eventual goal of this research is to apply the results to instruments designed for minimally invasive surgery or aerospace technologies.