Fiber-Reinforced Origami Electronics with High Rigidity and Flexibility for Display Applications

Origami structures provide functional advantages to rigid electronics through geometric transformations. However, the transformations involved in folding and deployment cause stress concentration on the flexure hinges of the origami structure, potentially resulting in electronic malfunction. Here, we report origami electronics based on a fiber-reinforced electronic composite. A thin and soft electronic composite based on a PEDOT:PSS electrode minimizes the stress during folding without causing electrode damage. Nylon is embedded in this foldable composite and, despite being thin and flexible enough for folding, provides high tensile resistance to prevent plastic deformation and tearing under tension. This strategy enables the creation of flexure hinges for origami electronics that maintain mechanical and electrical stability under repeated folding and deployment. Origami electronics that integrate the high-durability composite can be used in display applications that support 25-fold compression with the Flasher origami structure and 2D-to-3D deployment with the Kresling origami structure. The ability of origami electronics to withstand bending and tensile stress facilitates the realization of shape-reconfiguring displays that require repeated reconfiguration across multiple flexure hinges.