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Abstract A new paradigm called physical reservoir computing has recently emerged, where the nonlinear dynamics of high-dimensional and fixed physical systems are harnessed as a computational resource to achieve complex tasks. Via extensive simulations based on a dynamic truss-frame model, this study shows that an origami structure can perform as a dynamic reservoir with sufficient computing power to emulate high-order nonlinear systems, generate stable limit cycles, and modulate outputs according to dynamic inputs. This study also uncovers the linkages between the origami reservoir’s physical designs and its computing power, offering a guideline to optimize the computing performance. Comprehensive parametric studies show that selecting optimal feedback crease distribution and fine-tuning the underlying origami folding designs are the most effective approach to improve computing performance. Furthermore, this study shows how origami’s physical reservoir computing power can apply to soft robotic control problems by a case study of earthworm-like peristaltic crawling without traditional controllers. These results can pave the way for origami-based robots with embodied mechanical intelligence . 

In the field of soft robotics, harnessing the nonlinear dynamics of soft and compliant bodies as a computational resource to enable embodied intelligence and control is known as morphological computation. Physical reservoir computing (PRC) is a true instance of morphological computation wherein; a physical nonlinear dynamic system is used as a fixed reservoir to perform complex computational tasks. These dynamic reservoirs can be used to approximate nonlinear dynamical systems and even perform machine learning tasks. By numerical simulation, this study illustrates that an origami meta-material can also be used as a dynamic reservoir for pattern generation, output modulation, and input sensing. These results could pave the way for intelligently designed origami-based robots that interact with the environment through a distributed network of sensors and actuators. This embodied intelligence will enable the next generations of soft robots to autonomously coordinate and modulate their activities, such as locomotion gait generation and limb manipulation while resisting external disturbances. 

Origami, the ancient Japanese art of paper folding, is not only an inspiring technique to create sophisticated shapes, but also a surprisingly powerful method to induce nonlinear mechanical properties. Over the last decade, advances in crease design, mechanics modeling, and scalable fabrication have fostered the rapid emergence of architected origami materials. These materials typically consist of folded origami sheets or modules with intricate 3D geometries, and feature many unique and desirable material properties like auxetics, tunable nonlinear stiffness, multistability, and impact absorption. Rich designs in origami offer great freedom to design the performance of such origami materials, and folding offers a unique opportunity to efficiently fabricate these materials at vastly different sizes. Here, recent studies on the different aspects of origami materials—geometric design, mechanics analysis, achieved properties, and fabrication techniques—are highlighted and the challenges ahead discussed. The synergies between these different aspects will continue to mature and flourish this promising field.