Designing and programming self-folding sheets

•We propose a new programmable self-folding sheet model and architecture.•We describe and analyze algorithms for the automatic design of self-folding sheets.•We describe and analyze algorithms for the synthesis of sticker placement.•We build and experiment with devices of two different types of self-folding robots.

This paper considers a robot in the form of a self-folding sheet that is capable of origami-style autonomous folding. The sheet is composed of triangular tiles, folding actuators and an integrated electronic substrate, and is formed as an n×mn×m box-pleated crease pattern. The design of the sheet is generated by an automated sheet design algorithm. We control the sheet with a programming method including a hardware model and supporting algorithms. In this paper we present the programming method. We describe and analyze the algorithms that generate designs and programs for the sheet. We finally demonstrate and analyze experiments with 4×4 and 8×8 self-folding sheet devices.