Implementation of Rolling Contacts for SORCE Joints

The Synchronized-offset-rolling-contact element (SORCE) technique for thickness accommodation in origami-inspired mechanisms combines selected strengths of several thickness-accomadation techniques but with the tradeoff of manufacturing complexity of rolling joints. This work presents principles to facilitate the construction of rolling joints suitable for applications like the SORCE technique. These include leveraging fold-angle multipliers of origami vertices, variations of flexure assembly, sunken flexures, and form-closed rolling joints. Prototypes of origami-mechanisms using the SORCE technique are constructed demonstrating these principles.