Disordered origami sandwich structures: inverse design and on-demand energy absorption

Abstract

Conventional Miura Origami (Miura-Ori) metamaterials, despite their geometric elegance and tunable folding behavior, are inherently constrained in energy absorption performance due to their rigid periodicity and structural uniformity. In this work, we disrupt these limitations by introducing strategically engineered geometric disorder into Miura-Ori-based sandwich structures, resulting in dramatic enhancements in both mechanical robustness and energy dissipation. Among the tested designs, the best-performing disordered structures exhibit a 194.98% increase in elastic modulus, 105.22% enhancement in specific energy absorption, and 118.03% rise in mean compressive force compared to their uniform counterparts. Driven by these breakthroughs, we develop a powerful computational inverse design algorithm that autonomously generates geometric configurations to precisely match target force–displacement profiles. This algorithm unlocks a vastly expanded design space, enabling the creation of highly customizable and high-performance disordered metamaterials. Rigorous simulations and experimental validations corroborate the superior capabilities of our approach. As a compelling application, we design a Miura-Ori-inspired fuselage tube, where geometric disorder effectively suppresses peak impact forces during crash events. This study redefines the role of disorder–transforming it from a structural limitation into a functional asset–and establishes a foundational paradigm for the data-driven design of next-generation energy-absorbing metamaterials.