ORI*botics: the Art and Science of Robotic Origami

ORI*BOTICS, the art and science of robotic origami, is a follow-on research project that continues the investigation of origami, technology and nature. It extends on our novel methods for designing and making strong, flexible and higly irregular origami from textiles and 3D printing, namely Fold Printing and Fold Mapping. This research asks questions specific to robotic origami and folded mechanis ms , a new area in art and science with many open questions. Our aim is to extend knowledge from literature, including new ideas in science, to develop new approaches and create practical tools and know-how for the studio. We investigate three fundamental problem areas: program, transform and sense. 1. The programming of origami shapes needs the understanding of theoretical, practical and computational knowledge of how origami patterns are formed in nature and how they can change shape. We aim to make new software to allow an artist to create new robotics origami designs. We will an open-source, open-call methodology to create and collate new and existing tools for computational origami. 2. Transforming a robotic origami shape requires intelligent materials and complex digital fabrication techniques. Our experimental approach aims to combine current knowledge into new processes for artists and scientists to make and move their origami robots. We want to find methods that can be used to move a fold, in a repeatable, durable way, that are suitable for studio-based production. 3. Sensing in origami offers continuous and binary sensing options that can create many different types of human interactions, such as sculptural, musical and peformance-based prototypes. We are looking for a multi-material solution, based on existing methods, that can combine flexibility and electrical properties on complex origami patterns. The research methodology is built around four categories: Art Into Science (literature reviews, experimental validations) and Research Through Making, Open-Source & Open Call (to bring together expertise from other world-leading researchers) (production of prototypes and methods), Research Through Teaching (public presentations, workshops and exhibitions). The presentation of our results of hands-on, haptic, tactile and physical prototypes are treated with the same importance as conceptual frameworks, literature reviews and publications. Public presentations and engagement are gained through exhibitions, workshops and online videos. The research will conducted at the Ars Electronica Futurelab in Linz. Public outreach programs are in collaboration with the Ars Electronica Festival and Centre. A team with artistic and scientific expertise is led by oriboticist Dr Matthew Gardiner.

We investigate three fundamental and interconnected themes in the field of Origami Robotics-Program, Transform and Sensing-towards new studio methods inspired by recent work in scientific disciplines. The research is led by artistic inquiry and has delivered results in small and large-scale oribotic sculptures, digital musical instruments, audiovisual works, academic publications, and monographs. Notable results include: Oribotics Instruments: a series of prototype origami musical instruments that can sense fold angles from human touch and hands-on folding. Going from a workshop on paper prototypes through to an in-depth examination of materials, fabrication methods, electronics and software, to using a digital twin to evaluate origami gestures. We presented our results as performances and exhibits of the instruments; key collaborations included musicians who composed new works. Gigantic Oribotic Spiral: a collaborative and detailed study on transforming materials into self-similar spiral structures, with the aim of making them as large as possible. The results, which include many micro-inventions, feature two full-scale prototypes of the spiral. The systematic review, prototype and testing of origami hinge-designs led to a rolling helically geared hinge-the Schmid Hinge. The mathematical model led to an exploration of n-dimensional origami, in which we calculated over 12,000 design variations. This resulted in several outputs: a computer graphics piece visualising the folding and unfolding across the entire origami design space; an audiovisual work that translates geometric data into sound; the dataset itself; and a monograph. Thysan Mechanism: named after a three-petalled flower that extends from work in surgical instruments. The study involved the creation of a parametric origami model that integrates recent discoveries in the field of rigid origami. In response to our themes, our general findings include: In Program: our review of recent general-purpose origami software tools exposed knowledge gaps in designing non-planar, assembled origami structures, structures that can be folded from flat sheets, but are connected into loops along edges or other joints; we also aimed to integrate new findings in the field of rigid origami, building the principles into our mathematical and parametric models. In Sensing, our novel approaches to oribotic instruments, built on unique electro-material combinations and including extensive work with printed circuit boards, enabled new methods for determining fold angles. In Transform, our investigations into large-scale oribotic works revealed numerous open problems and challenges. Questions of materiality and hinging in origami are still largely focused on small-scale objects, suggesting this area is open for further exploration. Overall, our Art-Science methodology-grounded in Program, Transform, and Sensing-extends studio-based approaches to support future developments in origami robotics. We generated new knowledge, findings, artworks, and solutions, while also opening new lines of inquiry for future investigation. The results highlight both the diversity and the significant potential of emerging directions in origami robotics.