Active fabric origami enabled by digital embroidery of magnetic yarns

Abstract

Active fabrics can perform deformations such as contraction, expansion, and bending when exposed to external stimuli. Origami, the ancient art of paper folding, transforms a 2D sheet into a complex 3D structure. However, integrating origami-inspired designs into active fabrics presents significant challenges, including the large-scale production of stimuli-responsive yarns that can be processed using standard textile techniques to achieve intricate origami patterns with high precision and versatility. In this work, the large-scale fabrication of magnetic yarns featuring high magnetic susceptibility, mechanical strength, and flexibility is reported, which is enabled by processing magnetic polymer composites with a series of textile engineering processes. Utilizing digital embroidery, these magnetic yarns are programmed into origami patterns with predefined yarn alignments on flexible fabrics to create various active fabric origami structures that are mechanical durable and functional consistent. These structures can reversibly transform among shapes in response to specific magnetic fields, enabling a range of functionalities such as altering surface roughness, delivering linear actuation, mimicking flower blooming, and providing switchable thermal insulation. The novel active fabric origami provides promising smart platforms across areas as diverse as smart textiles, soft robotics, wearable devices, and fashion.