Deployable and load-bearing kirigami plates

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

11-15-2025

Abstract

This work develops an integrated framework for the design, simulation, and optimization of a kirigami-inspired deployable plate capable of covering arbitrarily large surfaces and locking into load-bearing configurations. Traditional origami-based systems face limitations in achieving uniform panel thickness, single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) deployment, and planar tessellation simultaneously. To address these challenges, this work adopts a kirigami approach to build a deployable plate by connecting uniformly thick panels via simple butt hinges. To enable load-bearing capability after deployment, latch locks are integrated into the folding hinges. This design offers advantages in load-bearing performance and manufacturability. We developed a lumped parameter mechanical simulation to capture the deployment kinematics and load-bearing capacity. We showed that the simulation can capture the deployment kinematics accurately by comparing the simulation results with analytical solutions for different kirigami plates. Mechanical properties required for the load-bearing simulation are derived from four-point bending experiments on the locking hinges. A case study is presented to show that the model can predict the strength and stiffness of the kirigami plates. An optimization platform is then introduced to identify the most effective latch lock placements for maximizing structural stiffness. Finally, experimental studies are conducted to validate the accuracy of the simulation and optimization framework, confirming the proposed system's effectiveness for deployable and load-bearing applications.

Publication Title

Engineering Structures

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