Development and Kinematic Analysis of Origami-inspired Retractable Roof Structures

Abstract

The application of retractable roof structures has enhanced the urban landscape, particularly in large-scale public buildings. Nevertheless, the utilization of origami mechanisms in such structures has only been explored conceptually, with a lack of practical engineering implementations. In this paper, three novel retractable roof structures, integrating Miura-ori (and its variations) with scissor hinge units, are proposed. We first provide a concise overview of the concepts of Miura-ori (including its arched and fan-shaped variations), scissor joint unit, and plate thickening. Subsequently, coordinated motion conditions for the three proposed retractable roof structures are elaborately derived using geometric formulas, and the corresponding solutions are provided when the coordinated motion is not feasible. Lastly, after parameterizing the thick-plate model, the motion mechanism of the retractable roof structures is analyzed exhaustively. The results indicate that all three new structures can achieve smooth opening and closing operations without motion interference. The proposed novel retractable roof structures enrich the variety of architectural structures and provide practical guidance for engineering applications.