Origami-inspired structures that fold flat sheets along creases with designed patterns to create transformable structures have been widely applied in science and engineering, especially in space operations, e.g., for deployment of folded solar panels equipped on launched satellites. Although the deformation process plays an essential role in transitions between the origami states, few studies focus on the control and actuation of the origami folding mechanism toward high autonomy of the deformation process. This project aims to develop an autonomous origami-inspired transformable system to enable high-performance deformation maneuvering in space operations requiring frequent and/or time-responsive shape changes. The integrative research incorporating theory, analysis, algorithm development, and experimental verification will contribute to a theoretical and experimental platform to advance the autonomy of origami system operations in challenging environments. The research products will have significant impacts on the proliferated satellite marketplace where low mass, small volume, and adaptable structures/subsystems of space vehicles are in demand. Going beyond the applications in space missions, origami-inspired transformable systems have much broader applications in science and engineering. Moreover, the collaboration of experts in both cyber and physical areas promotes the creation of interdisciplinary products that bridge different disciplines.

To achieve the research goal of advancing autonomy of origami-inspired transformable systems, four research thrusts are identified, namely (1) developing a network-based approach for modeling and design of multi-shape origami structures, (2) designing an integrated sensing and control strategy with guaranteed controllability, reachability, and energy efficiency, (3) developing programmable untethered actuation via thermal loading to realize designed control maneuvers, and (4) evaluating the performance of autonomous systems using multiple origami structures in space operation missions. These identified research thrusts will together contribute to an analytical and computational framework for achieving autonomy of the origami deformation process, which will result in real-world applications in future space missions. Theoretically, the fundamental analysis based on networked control and graph modeling can lead to rigorous support of control performance in terms of controllability, reachability, and energy efficiency for the origami deformation process. Practically, the development of programmable untethered actuation enables the generation of designed control commands under operational constraints.