Communications of the ACM
Earwigs and the Art of Origami
Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed multifunctional origami structures, which they then fabricated into three-dimensional printed objects.
Credit: Jakob Faber/ETH Zurich
Researchers at ETH Zurich in Switzerland and Purdue University have developed multifunctional origami structures that emulate the framework of an earwig's wing, and fabricated them as three-dimensional (3D) printed objects.
Computer models of the insect's wing demonstrated that the crucial factor in the wing's design is its elastic folds, which can function either as an extensional or rotational spring. These models were transferred to a multi-material 3D printer so the team could directly manufacture a 4D object made of four stiff plastic plates linked to each other by a soft elastic joint.
The spring functions of the connecting folds were coded into the material to enable them to perform extensional or rotational movements, mimicking the earwig's wing (which is stable when open, but folds together automatically on even the lightest touch).
The researchers then transferred the principle to larger elements and printed a self-folding spring origami gripper.
From ETH Zurich
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