Session: ASME Undergraduate Student Design Expo

Paper Number: 167055

Multistable Kresling Origami for Reconfigurable Soft Robotics: Fabrication, Actuation, and Applications 

The Kresling class of structural origami provides a powerful foundation for reconfigurable soft robotics, offering intrinsic multistability, coupled motion, and modularity. These characteristics make it an ideal candidate for applications requiring adaptable, compliant, and programmable structures. This study explores advanced fabrication strategies, material selection approaches, and magnetic actuation methodologies to develop a multi-directional modular robotic arm composed of Kresling origami units. A central focus is the realization of tristable Kresling origami modules, where the third stable state significantly enhances load-bearing capacity, expanding the design space for functional and deployable robotic systems. 

A defining characteristic of Kresling origami is its coupled rotational and translational motion, which, when combined with multi-directional bending, enables six degrees of freedom (6-DOF) per module. By carefully tuning geometric parameters, we directly influence the number of stable states and the strain energy landscape, allowing for controlled and predictable reconfiguration. Our work establishes a direct link between fabrication parameters, structural stability, and actuation performance, which is critical for designing soft robotic systems that require precise and adaptive motion control. 

To achieve tristability while ensuring structural robustness, we investigate and compare 3D printing and laser cutting as primary fabrication methods. 3D-printed thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) panels with variable thicknesses enable controlled bending, while laser-cut Mylar sheets with strategically perforated edges provide an alternative approach to achieving tristability. The Kresling panels, structured as parallelogrammatic units, are fastened onto 3D-printed polylactic acid (PLA) baseplates. We demonstrate that material selection, perforation density, and panel thickness directly influence tristability, with laser-cut Mylar structures exhibiting more reliable tristability than their 3D-printed counterparts. 

For actuation, we embed neodymium disc magnets within the baseplates of each Kresling module, enabling precise, untethered control via an externally applied magnetic field. A custom-fabricated Helmholtz coil system generates a three-dimensional magnetic field, inducing controlled forces on the embedded magnets and allowing for programmable, multi-directional actuation. This actuation approach ensures high mobility, reconfigurability, and functional adaptability, making the robotic arm versatile for a broad range of applications. 

Preliminary experiments validate the feasibility of this approach, with laser-cut Mylar configurations exhibiting superior tristability due to localized compliance introduced by perforations. Finite element simulations of stress distribution and potential energy landscapes confirm that tuning the geometric and material parameters leads to predictable, programmable multistable behavior. The resulting system successfully integrates tristable Kresling modules into a functional robotic arm, demonstrating a high degree of controllability and adaptability. 

Beyond conventional soft robotics, this work has implications for deployable aerospace structures, adaptive biomedical devices, and micro-scale robotic systems. The scalable, modular nature of Kresling-based architectures presents opportunities in minimally invasive surgical tools, drug delivery mechanisms, and morphing robotic systems. By leveraging multistability and tunable actuation, Kresling origami establishes a new paradigm for reconfigurable, energy-efficient, and adaptive soft robotic technologies. 

Presenting Author: Omar Alyousef University of Memphis

Presenting Author Biography: Omar Alyousef is a senior year undergraduate student at the University of Memphis pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering with a second major in Mathematical Sciences and a concentration in Advanced Manufacturing. Omar leads his senior design team in the research and design of Kresling origami modular systems.

Authors:

Omar Alyousef University of Memphis
Nicholas Saunders University of Memphis
John Batte University of Memphis
Jake Buchanan University of Memphis
Vipin Agarwal University of Memphis