Optimization of sensor placement and actuation strategy for a deployable origami structure through computational analysis and experimental investigation.

This article focuses on developing and experimentally validating an optimized actuation strategy for the Origami Pill Bug (OPB), a biomimetic, origami-inspired deployable structure. The research formulates an equivalent bar model for the OPB’s thick plate elements to enable computational simulation via the dynamic relaxation method, employs a multi-objective optimization algorithm to identify critical structural elements for optimal sensor placement, and conducts experiments to correlate actuation rates with strain development. Experimental results on a meter-scale OPB prototype reveal that an actuation rate of 2.0 cm/s balances actuation force, strain magnitudes, residual strains, and deployment time most effectively. This integrated computational-experimental framework advances the design of tailored actuation strategies for origami-enabled deployable structures with potential applications in adaptive architecture and engineering systems.