The ancient art of ‘origami’ has recently become the source of inspiration for engineers to create structures that can unfold from a compact state to a fully deployed one. For instance, researchers have currently adopted origami designs in various engineering disciplines, including aerospace engineering, robotics, biomedical engineering, and architecture. In particular, architects have been interested in designing origami-inspired rigid walled structures that can be deployed as disaster-relief shelters. This type of design has three main advantages: transportability, constructability, and rigidity. Although there has been increased interests in deployable structures, limited research has been conducted on evaluating their structural performance, specifically the mechanical performance of the hinges that allow for the rotation of the rigid panels. To address the limitation, this thesis proposes a novel design of hinge connections for rigid origami structures. The hinges utilize snap fit connections to allow for the structure to achieve and maintain a locked state once unfolded without the need for any additional connections. Prototypes of the hinge design were fabricated using a 3D printer and their flexural strength was experimentally and computationally studied. It was concluded that the design could resist typical flexural loads for residential structures, and future research should be performed to minimize deflection.
","abstract_html":"<p>The ancient art of ‘origami’ has recently become the source of inspiration for engineers to create structures that can unfold from a compact state to a fully deployed one. For instance, researchers have currently adopted origami designs in various engineering disciplines, including aerospace engineering, robotics, biomedical engineering, and architecture. In particular, architects have been interested in designing origami-inspired rigid walled structures that can be deployed as disaster-relief shelters. This type of design has three main advantages: transportability, constructability, and rigidity. Although there has been increased interests in deployable structures, limited research has been conducted on evaluating their structural performance, specifically the mechanical performance of the hinges that allow for the rotation of the rigid panels. To address the limitation, this thesis proposes a novel design of hinge connections for rigid origami structures. The hinges utilize snap fit connections to allow for the structure to achieve and maintain a locked state once unfolded without the need for any additional connections. Prototypes of the hinge design were fabricated using a 3D printer and their flexural strength was experimentally and computationally studied. It was concluded that the design could resist typical flexural loads for residential structures, and future research should be performed to minimize deflection.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Scanlon, Colby James"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"MS in Civil and Environmental Engineering","degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":"Civil and Environmental Engineering","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Long Wang","Civil and Environmental Engineering","College of Engineering"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2022,"date_issued":"2022-06-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2022-06-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:32:37Z","subjects":["Active Disassembly","Deployable Structures","Disaster-Relief Shelters","Origami","Structural Engineering"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["10.15368/theses.2022.39"],"render_values":[{"text":"10.15368/theses.2022.39","href":"https://doi.org/10.15368/theses.2022.39","code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/2570","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Long Wang","Civil and Environmental Engineering","College of Engineering"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Scanlon, Colby James"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2022-06-06T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Civil and Environmental Engineering"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["MS in Civil and Environmental Engineering"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Active Disassembly","Deployable Structures","Disaster-Relief Shelters","Origami","Structural Engineering"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/2570","10.15368/theses.2022.39"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The ancient art of ‘origami’ has recently become the source of inspiration for engineers to create structures that can unfold from a compact state to a fully deployed one. For instance, researchers have currently adopted origami designs in various engineering disciplines, including aerospace engineering, robotics, biomedical engineering, and architecture. In particular, architects have been interested in designing origami-inspired rigid walled structures that can be deployed as disaster-relief shelters. This type of design has three main advantages: transportability, constructability, and rigidity. Although there has been increased interests in deployable structures, limited research has been conducted on evaluating their structural performance, specifically the mechanical performance of the hinges that allow for the rotation of the rigid panels. To address the limitation, this thesis proposes a novel design of hinge connections for rigid origami structures. The hinges utilize snap fit connections to allow for the structure to achieve and maintain a locked state once unfolded without the need for any additional connections. Prototypes of the hinge design were fabricated using a 3D printer and their flexural strength was experimentally and computationally studied. It was concluded that the design could resist typical flexural loads for residential structures, and future research should be performed to minimize deflection.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Design, Fabrication, and Testing of Mechanical Hinges with Snap-Fit Locking Mechanisms in Rigid Origami Structures"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Long Wang","Civil and Environmental Engineering","College of Engineering"],"dc:creator":["Scanlon, Colby James"],"dc:date.available":["2022-06-06T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["The ancient art of ‘origami’ has recently become the source of inspiration for engineers to create structures that can unfold from a compact state to a fully deployed one. For instance, researchers have currently adopted origami designs in various engineering disciplines, including aerospace engineering, robotics, biomedical engineering, and architecture. In particular, architects have been interested in designing origami-inspired rigid walled structures that can be deployed as disaster-relief shelters. This type of design has three main advantages: transportability, constructability, and rigidity. Although there has been increased interests in deployable structures, limited research has been conducted on evaluating their structural performance, specifically the mechanical performance of the hinges that allow for the rotation of the rigid panels. To address the limitation, this thesis proposes a novel design of hinge connections for rigid origami structures. The hinges utilize snap fit connections to allow for the structure to achieve and maintain a locked state once unfolded without the need for any additional connections. Prototypes of the hinge design were fabricated using a 3D printer and their flexural strength was experimentally and computationally studied. It was concluded that the design could resist typical flexural loads for residential structures, and future research should be performed to minimize deflection.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/2570","10.15368/theses.2022.39"],"dc:subject":["Active Disassembly","Deployable Structures","Disaster-Relief Shelters","Origami","Structural Engineering"],"dc:title":["Design, Fabrication, and Testing of Mechanical Hinges with Snap-Fit Locking Mechanisms in Rigid Origami Structures"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Civil and Environmental Engineering"],"thesis:degree_name":["MS in Civil and Environmental Engineering"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:32:37Z"}