Folding, Tessellation, and Deployment of an Origami-Inspired Active-Material-Enabled Self-Folding Reflector Antenna

The effects of tessellation facet size and focal length to diameter ratio on the radiation pattern of an origami-inspired parabolic reflector antenna are presented. Tessellations are determined from the discretization of a parabolic dish into an approximate faceted structure. Varying levels of discretization are analyzed for their impact on antenna behavior. Structural and electromagnetic modeling and simulation tools are presented for their applications in origami-based designs. A structural prototype is presented to demonstrate manufacturing and folding abilities.