Waterbomb Origami Structures as Dynamical Systems

The seminar will present research on the dynamic behavior and stability of Waterbomb origami structures, investigated as nonlinear dynamical systems.

Origami-inspired structures have emerged as a promising framework for designing adaptive and lightweight systems with programmable stiffness and deployability. The work presented during the seminar focuses on geometrically graded Waterbomb origami tubes, considering both deterministic and stochastic configurations.

Numerical analyses reveal different dynamic regimes, including wave-like folding modes with energy exchange between layers and finite-size instabilities leading to localized deformation. The results also show that stochastic gradation can promote energy dispersion and enhance the dynamic stability of the structures. Complementary 3D models were developed and assembled in the laboratory to validate the geometric predictions and visualize the wave-like patterns observed in the simulations.

About the speaker

Americo Cunha Jr is an Associate Professor of Applied Mathematics at Rio de Janeiro State University and a Research Staff Member at the National Laboratory for Scientific Computing (LNCC), Brazil.

He was a Visiting Scholar at Princeton University from 2022 to 2023 and a Visiting Professor at the University of Trento in 2026. His research focuses on nonlinear dynamics, uncertainty quantification, functional metamaterials, energy harvesting, scientific machine learning, and origami-inspired engineering. In 2023, he received the Young Scientist Award from the Brazilian Association for Computational Methods in Engineering (ABMEC).