Dynamics of Nanostructured Origami

The nanostructured origami approach to 3-D nano manufacturing is a novel way to gain functionality from the third dimension in nanotechnology applications. After first patterning devices onto a structural membrane using traditional 2-D tools, the segments can be folded along predefined creases in order to realize a final shape in 3-D. In order to manufacture increasingly complex devices, knowledge of the origami's dynamics is imperative. This paper describes a method to model the dynamics of two types of origamis using methods that were originally developed for use in robotic manipulation tasks. The stability of the devices in the folded state is also discussed.