Unfolding the Art of Artificial Muscles: An Analysis of the Performance of Various Origami Configurations in Artificial Muscles

Abstract

Origami engineering in the world of artificial muscles has immense potential to transform the application of art in technology. The unique behavior of various origami configurations enhances their abilities beyond their material properties to create lightweight yet remarkably strong and durable patterns that can significantly advance fields such as robotics, aerospace engineering, and medical devices, among others. Although current artificial muscles cannot completely replicate the performance of biological human muscles, applying origami techniques to the field can offer promising solutions. This thesis aims to construct a functional fluid-driven origami-inspired artificial muscle that can be used to explore the performances of various origami patterns. Through this experiment, careful design and decision-making ensured that the patterns explored varied in their origami characteristics. The following tests once the muscles are constructed with the different patterns of origami skeletons illustrate the muscle contraction of each pattern and shed light on their functional dynamics. The findings present insights into design and actuator limitations and potential implications, along with what can be improved in future works on this topic.