Geometry and Mechanics of Non-Euclidean Curved-Crease Origami

TL;DR

This paper develops a comprehensive geometric and mechanical framework for non-Euclidean curved-fold origami, analyzing shape configurations, stability, and buckling behavior, with models applicable to robotics and deployable structures.

Contribution

It introduces a unified geometric framework for curved-fold origami with nontrivial Gaussian curvature, including equilibrium equations and a bistrip model for large deformations.

Findings

Four shape configurations identified

Lower buckling threshold for overlaid configurations

Bistrip model accurately predicts large deformation behavior

Abstract

Recently there have been extensive theoretical, numerical and experimental works on curved-fold origami. However, we notice that a unified and complete geometric framework for describing the geometry and mechanics of curved-fold origami, especially those with nontrivial Gaussian curvature at the crease (non-Euclidean crease), is still absent. Herein we provide a unified geometric framework that describes the shape of a generic curved-fold origami composed of two general strips. The explicit description indicates that four configurations emerge, determined by its spatial crease and configuration branch. Within this geometric framework, we derive the equilibrium equations and study the mechanical response of the curved-crease origami, focusing on Euler's buckling behavior. Both linear stability analysis and finite element simulation indicate that the overlaid configuration exhibits a lower buckling threshold. To further capture the large deformation behavior efficiently, we develop a bistrip model based on the anisotropic Kirchhoff rod theory, which predicts the main features successfully. This work bridges the geometry and mechanics of curved-crease origami, offering insights for applications in robotics, actuators, and deployable space structures.