The State of the Art of Origami-Inspired Products: A Review

Abstract

Origami transforms a 2-dimensional sheet to a 3-dimensional structure through the act of folding paper. The principles of this ancient art form have inspired various products and emerging technologies engineered for applications far beyond art and aesthetic. Origami structures feature many useful characteristics pertinent to modern day design challenges such as reconfiguration, flexibility, compactness, and multifunctionality. In this paper, a survey of origami-inspired products is provided to identify and define the state-of-the-art in the evolving field of origami-based product design. Prior reviews of origami-inspired products have been published, but are limited to active structures and mechanical engineering applications only. This work aims to include as many products as possible, irrespective of function or application. Products are classified primarily by the depth of origami-inspiration utilized. Qualitative product comparisons are discussed based on depth of origami integration, scale, operation, and commercial viability. The objectives of this paper are to identify the wide range of product applications for origami principles, to provide a qualitative comparison of products that reveals interesting trends in origami-inspired design, and to determine areas for future work in this developing field.