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Theses and Dissertations

Compliant mechanisms

2013

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Full-Text Articles in Mechanical Engineering

Origami-Based Design For Engineering Applications, Kevin Campbell Francis Sep 2013

Origami-Based Design For Engineering Applications, Kevin Campbell Francis

Theses and Dissertations

Origami can be a powerful source of design inspiration in the creation of reconfigurable systems with unparalleled performance. This thesis provides fundamental tools for designers to employ as origami-based designs are pursued in their respective fields of expertise. The first chapter introduces origami and makes connections between origami and engineering design through a survey of engineered applications and characterizing the relationship between origami and compliant mechanisms. The second chapter evaluates the creasing of non-paper sheet materials, such as plastics and metals, to facilitate origami-based compliant mechanism design. Although it is anticipated that most origami-based design will result from surrogate folds …


A Study Of Action Origami As Systems Of Spherical Mechanisms, Landen A. Bowen Jul 2013

A Study Of Action Origami As Systems Of Spherical Mechanisms, Landen A. Bowen

Theses and Dissertations

Origami, the Japanese art of paper folding, has been used previously to inspire engineering solutions for compact, deployable designs. Action origami, the subset of origami dealing with models designed to move, is a previously unexplored area for engineering design solutions that are deployable and have additional motion in the deployed state. A literature review of origami in engineering is performed, resulting in seven key areas of technical origami literature from a wide variety of disciplines. Spherical mechanisms are identified as the method by which most action origami models achieve complicated motion while remaining flat-foldable. The subset of action origami whose …


Fully Compliant Mechanisms For Bearing Subtraction In Robotics And Space Applications, Ezekiel G. Merriam Apr 2013

Fully Compliant Mechanisms For Bearing Subtraction In Robotics And Space Applications, Ezekiel G. Merriam

Theses and Dissertations

Robotics and space applications represent areas where compliant mechanisms can continue to make a significant impact by reducing costs and weight while improving performance. Because of the nature of these applications, a common need is for bearing replacement mechanisms, or mechanisms that perform the function of a bearing without the complexity and failure modes associated with bearings. Static balancing is a design strategy that attempts to reduce the actuation effort of a mechanism, and has been applied to compliant mechanisms in some applications. Monolithic construction, especially by means of 3D printing technology, is a strategy whereby the mechanism links and …