Design and Analysis of a Hybrid Actuator With Resilient Origami-Inspired Hinges

This letter presents a novel cable-driven hybrid origami-inspired actuator with load-bearing capability. In contrast to conventional origami, the hybrid origami layer of the actuator is characterized by resilient hinges and rigid facets. The layers are bonded and assembled with the motors that apply tension via wires to generate a motion. The actuator exhibits high blocking force performance while preserving the large deformability of the conventional origami. To analyze the structure, a mathematical model is built using origami kinematics and elastic analysis. A hybrid origami tower with multiple layers is also suggested to show feasibility as a robot manipulator.