# Origami-based tunable truss structures for non-volatile mechanical memory operation

## TL;DR

This paper introduces origami-based volumetric structures with tunable properties that can serve as non-volatile mechanical memory devices, demonstrating experimental one- and two-bit memory storage using interconnected TCO cells.

## Contribution

It presents a novel application of triangulated cylindrical origami structures as mechanical memory units with tunable stability and multi-bit storage capabilities.

## Key findings

- Demonstrated double-well potential for bit storage in origami cells
- Achieved two-bit mechanical memory with interconnected TCO cells
- Experimental validation of one- and two-bit memory mechanisms

## Abstract

Origami has recently received significant interest from the scientific community as a building block for constructing metamaterials. However, the primary focus has been placed on their kinematic applications, such as deployable space structures and sandwich core materials, by leveraging the compactness and auxeticity of planar origami platforms. Here, we present volumetric origami cells -- specifically triangulated cylindrical origami (TCO) -- with tunable stability and stiffness, and demonstrate their feasibility as non-volatile mechanical memory storage devices. We show that a pair of origami cells can develop a double-well potential to store bit information without the need of residual forces. What makes this origami-based approach more appealing is the realization of two-bit mechanical memory, in which two pairs of TCO cells are interconnected and one pair acts as a control for the other pair. Using TCO-based truss structures, we present an experimental demonstration of purely mechanical one- and two-bit memory storage mechanisms.