Mechanics of curved crease origami: 1DoF mechanisms, distributed actuation by spontaneous curvature, and cross-talk between multiple folds

The work studies how origami structures made from patches of smooth shapes connected by fold lines can morph when the fold lines are curved. Curved creases create mechanical coupling between folds, which the authors argue can be used to achieve more robust folding pathways. They focus on one-degree-of-freedom (1DoF) mechanisms and on folds that can be driven by spontaneous curvature, motivated by hygromorphic multilayered composites. The abstract compares different modeling approaches: a purely geometric approach versus mechanics-based approaches using active shells and active three-dimensional solids. Finally, the authors analyze how multiple folds interact (cooperativity/cross-talk) and report an energetic advantage of folding synchronously rather than sequentially.