Predicting origami-inspired programmable self-folding of hydrogel trilayers
Imitating origami principles in active or programmable materials opens the door for development
of origami-inspired self-folding structures for not only aesthetic but also functional purposes. A
variety of programmable materials enabled self-folding structures have been demonstrated across
various fields and scales. These folding structures have finite thickness and the mechanical
properties of the active materials dictate the folding process. Yet formalizing the use of origami
rules for use in computer modeling has been challenging, owing to the zero-thickness theory and