Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Zhang, Qun, Huang, Weicheng, Hajiyavand, Amir, Kim, Hyunyoung, Dancer, Claire, Dearn, Karl, Liu, Mingchao
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.01531
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1866909010438914048
author Zhang, Qun
Huang, Weicheng
Hajiyavand, Amir
Kim, Hyunyoung
Dancer, Claire
Dearn, Karl
Liu, Mingchao
author_facet Zhang, Qun
Huang, Weicheng
Hajiyavand, Amir
Kim, Hyunyoung
Dancer, Claire
Dearn, Karl
Liu, Mingchao
contents Programmable folding of elastic sheets typically relies on predefined flexible creases or active materials-enabled hinges, which lack intrinsic bistability and limit reprogrammability within a single structure. Here, we present a dimple-encoded origami platform that converts bistable dimple snapping into spatially addressable hinges with prescribed folding angles in a continuous sheet. This interaction-enabled mechanism enables the design of distributed hinge networks through the arrangement and selective inversion of dimples. We establish folding-angle design charts that can be directly used to select local dimple arrangements for target fold angle, forming a practical hinge library without altering the underlying unit geometry. Using this approach, a single dimpled sheet can be reprogrammed to realize multiple distinct configurations, such as triangle, square, and pentagon shapes. We further extend the method to flat-to-3D morphing of polyhedral origami and validate the results through experiments and finite element simulations. As demonstrations, we realize self-supporting cubic shells with enhanced impact resistance and partially deployable cube configurations that remain stable upon opening, highlighting their potential for protective enclosures and deployable architectural structures. The proposed strategy provides a fabrication-friendly route to reprogrammable shape-morphing and adaptive mechanical systems.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2605_01531
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Dimple-Encoded Reprogrammable Origami
Zhang, Qun
Huang, Weicheng
Hajiyavand, Amir
Kim, Hyunyoung
Dancer, Claire
Dearn, Karl
Liu, Mingchao
Soft Condensed Matter
Applied Physics
Programmable folding of elastic sheets typically relies on predefined flexible creases or active materials-enabled hinges, which lack intrinsic bistability and limit reprogrammability within a single structure. Here, we present a dimple-encoded origami platform that converts bistable dimple snapping into spatially addressable hinges with prescribed folding angles in a continuous sheet. This interaction-enabled mechanism enables the design of distributed hinge networks through the arrangement and selective inversion of dimples. We establish folding-angle design charts that can be directly used to select local dimple arrangements for target fold angle, forming a practical hinge library without altering the underlying unit geometry. Using this approach, a single dimpled sheet can be reprogrammed to realize multiple distinct configurations, such as triangle, square, and pentagon shapes. We further extend the method to flat-to-3D morphing of polyhedral origami and validate the results through experiments and finite element simulations. As demonstrations, we realize self-supporting cubic shells with enhanced impact resistance and partially deployable cube configurations that remain stable upon opening, highlighting their potential for protective enclosures and deployable architectural structures. The proposed strategy provides a fabrication-friendly route to reprogrammable shape-morphing and adaptive mechanical systems.
title Dimple-Encoded Reprogrammable Origami
topic Soft Condensed Matter
Applied Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.01531