Design and Modeling of Pre-stressed, Flat-Folding, Modular Origami Tube Structures

Origami-inspired structures are useful in many engineering applications because of their ability to change shape, such as for stowage into compact volumes. We describe a design for a modular, actuatable, and stiff Miura tube structure that uses a single cable and centralized winch system for both actuation and stiffness. The strategic routing of the cable allows for stiffness of the Miura tube to be maintained throughout deployment. Additionally, the stiffness and shape of the Miura tube are decoupled and able to be controlled independently. To model the stiffening effects of these cables, we introduce a method for finding the stiffness created by `pre-bending' and compare the modeled results to an axial compression experiment. These units successfully actuate and have stiffness throughout their deployment; thus, they would be advantageous for the design of large, foldable, and stiff structures in the future of space missions.