We propose Inkjet 4D Print, a self-folding fabrication method of 3D origami tessellations by printing 2D patterns on both sides of a heat-shrinkable base sheet, using a commercialized inkjet ultraviolet (UV) printer. Compared to the previous folding-based 4D printing approach using fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printers [An et al. 2018], our method has merits in (1) more than 1200 times higher resolution in terms of the number of self-foldable facets, (2) 2.8 times faster printing speed, and (3) optional full-color decoration. This paper describes the material selection, the folding mechanism, the heating condition, and the printing patterns to self-fold both known and freeform tessellations. We also evaluated the self-folding resolution, the printing and transformation speed, and the shape accuracy of our method. Finally, we demonstrated applications enabled by our self-foldable tessellated objects.

Recently, planar pneumatic actuators, known as pouch motors, have gained attention in the fields of soft robotics and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). However, achieving complex 3D shapes by pouch motors has been hindered by two challenges: (1) the slow operating speed of customized CNC machines, conventionally used for pouch fabrication and (2) the lack of control over the folding angle of individual pouches. To overcome these limitations, (1’) we introduce the use of a laser cutter to fabricate pouch motors. This approach enhances the fabrication process, enabling faster production of the pouch motors. Additionally, (2’) we propose laser-welding patterns that incorporate small barriers to control the folding angle of each pouch. By manipulating the welding patterns, we achieve nearly linear control over the folding angle of the pouches. In this paper, we present the design and fabrication process of laser-welded planar pneumatic actuators and showcase several design examples.

Origami is widely used in tangible input interfaces for diverse shapes and haptic feedback. However, the design and fabrication process of origami is labor-intensive, and building circuits on it is often unstable as they can easily be broken during iterative folding processes. We propose a fabrication method that helps users quickly design and fabricate haptic origami interfaces with electric sensing. By extending the previous 4D printing method [16], we developed a design software that can generate both a pattern of self-foldable shape and a pattern of circuitry. In the software, two kirigami hinges and five shape modules are available for users. Kirigami hinges protect the circuits from damage and achieve deformation sensing during the iterative folding process. Five shape modules have different haptic capabilities for different use cases. We summarized the fabrication process and designed three applications to validate our proposed method.

We propose a computational design system for packaging boxes, which enables reconstruction of cardboard into packaging structures that precisely fit the size of the objects to be shipped. Given a 3D model of the object and the structure of the cardboard to be reused, our system suggests the optimal net of a new box, which only requires minimum cuts and folds for fabrication by leveraging the edges of the input cardboard. To achieve this, we implemented a GUI visualizing the input models and the optimal net computed by our optimization algorithm. As a demonstration, we showed three design examples, with evaluation results of our method for reducing the length of cuts and folds.