Various plants have the ability to follow the sun with their flowers or leaves via a mechanism known as heliotropism, which is powered by pressure gradients between neighboring motor cells. Adapting this bio-inspired mechanism, in this paper we present a novel origami-inspired pneumatic solar tracking system for a picosatellite named NPU-PhoneSat that is capable of solar tracking without altering the attitude of the NPU-PhoneSat. We give an overview of the system design and address the theoretical problem of modeling the origami-inspired pneumatic solar tracking system. The theoretical results are compared with the experimental data, demonstrating the validity of the proposed analytical model. Such understanding of soft solar trackers will allow their performance to be predicted, thus enabling their wide utilization in enhancing energy supply.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
February 2017
Research-Article
Structure, Design, and Modeling of an Origami-Inspired Pneumatic Solar Tracking System for the NPU-Phonesat
Qiao Qiao,
Qiao Qiao
National Key Laboratory of Astronautics
Flight Dynamics,
School of Astronautics,
Northwestern Polytechnical University,
Xi’an, Shaanxi 710072, China
e-mail: doubleqiao1992@mail.nwpu.edu.cn
Flight Dynamics,
School of Astronautics,
Northwestern Polytechnical University,
Xi’an, Shaanxi 710072, China
e-mail: doubleqiao1992@mail.nwpu.edu.cn
Search for other works by this author on:
Jianping Yuan,
Jianping Yuan
National Key Laboratory of Astronautics
Flight Dynamics,
School of Astronautics,
Northwestern Polytechnical University,
Xi’an, Shaanxi 710072, China
e-mail: jyuan@nwpu.edu.cn
Flight Dynamics,
School of Astronautics,
Northwestern Polytechnical University,
Xi’an, Shaanxi 710072, China
e-mail: jyuan@nwpu.edu.cn
Search for other works by this author on:
Yong Shi,
Yong Shi
Mechanical Engineering Department,
Stevens Institute of Technology,
Hoboken, NJ 07030
e-mail: yong.shi@stevens.edu
Stevens Institute of Technology,
Hoboken, NJ 07030
e-mail: yong.shi@stevens.edu
Search for other works by this author on:
Xin Ning,
Xin Ning
National Key Laboratory of Astronautics
Flight Dynamics,
School of Astronautics,
Northwestern Polytechnical University,
Xi’an, Shaanxi 710072, China
e-mail: ningxin@nwpu.edu.cn
Flight Dynamics,
School of Astronautics,
Northwestern Polytechnical University,
Xi’an, Shaanxi 710072, China
e-mail: ningxin@nwpu.edu.cn
Search for other works by this author on:
Fei Wang
Fei Wang
National Key Laboratory of Astronautics
Flight Dynamics,
School of Astronautics,
Northwestern Polytechnical University,
Xi’an, Shaanxi 710072, China
e-mail: faywong@mail.nwpu.edu.cn
Flight Dynamics,
School of Astronautics,
Northwestern Polytechnical University,
Xi’an, Shaanxi 710072, China
e-mail: faywong@mail.nwpu.edu.cn
Search for other works by this author on:
Qiao Qiao
National Key Laboratory of Astronautics
Flight Dynamics,
School of Astronautics,
Northwestern Polytechnical University,
Xi’an, Shaanxi 710072, China
e-mail: doubleqiao1992@mail.nwpu.edu.cn
Flight Dynamics,
School of Astronautics,
Northwestern Polytechnical University,
Xi’an, Shaanxi 710072, China
e-mail: doubleqiao1992@mail.nwpu.edu.cn
Jianping Yuan
National Key Laboratory of Astronautics
Flight Dynamics,
School of Astronautics,
Northwestern Polytechnical University,
Xi’an, Shaanxi 710072, China
e-mail: jyuan@nwpu.edu.cn
Flight Dynamics,
School of Astronautics,
Northwestern Polytechnical University,
Xi’an, Shaanxi 710072, China
e-mail: jyuan@nwpu.edu.cn
Yong Shi
Mechanical Engineering Department,
Stevens Institute of Technology,
Hoboken, NJ 07030
e-mail: yong.shi@stevens.edu
Stevens Institute of Technology,
Hoboken, NJ 07030
e-mail: yong.shi@stevens.edu
Xin Ning
National Key Laboratory of Astronautics
Flight Dynamics,
School of Astronautics,
Northwestern Polytechnical University,
Xi’an, Shaanxi 710072, China
e-mail: ningxin@nwpu.edu.cn
Flight Dynamics,
School of Astronautics,
Northwestern Polytechnical University,
Xi’an, Shaanxi 710072, China
e-mail: ningxin@nwpu.edu.cn
Fei Wang
National Key Laboratory of Astronautics
Flight Dynamics,
School of Astronautics,
Northwestern Polytechnical University,
Xi’an, Shaanxi 710072, China
e-mail: faywong@mail.nwpu.edu.cn
Flight Dynamics,
School of Astronautics,
Northwestern Polytechnical University,
Xi’an, Shaanxi 710072, China
e-mail: faywong@mail.nwpu.edu.cn
1Corresponding authors.
Manuscript received March 31, 2016; final manuscript received October 8, 2016; published online December 2, 2016. Assoc. Editor: Robert J. Wood.
J. Mechanisms Robotics. Feb 2017, 9(1): 011004 (6 pages)
Published Online: December 2, 2016
Article history
Received:
March 31, 2016
Revised:
October 8, 2016
Citation
Qiao, Q., Yuan, J., Shi, Y., Ning, X., and Wang, F. (December 2, 2016). "Structure, Design, and Modeling of an Origami-Inspired Pneumatic Solar Tracking System for the NPU-Phonesat." ASME. J. Mechanisms Robotics. February 2017; 9(1): 011004. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4035086
Download citation file:
Get Email Alerts
Integrated Wheel–Foot–Arm Design of a Mobile Platform With Linkage Mechanisms
J. Mechanisms Robotics (August 2024)
Advancing Legged Wall Climbing Robot Performance Through Dynamic Contact-Integrated Climbing Model
J. Mechanisms Robotics (June 2024)
Related Articles
Evaluating Compliant Hinge Geometries for Origami-Inspired Mechanisms
J. Mechanisms Robotics (February,2015)
Design, Fabrication, and Modeling of an Electric–Magnetic Self-Folding Sheet
J. Mechanisms Robotics (April,2017)
Development of a Low-Cost Soft Robot Fish With Biomimetic Swimming Performance
J. Mechanisms Robotics (June,2024)
Origaker: A Novel Multi-Mimicry Quadruped Robot Based on a Metamorphic Mechanism
J. Mechanisms Robotics (December,2022)
Related Proceedings Papers
Related Chapters
Breathing and Living Walls
Advanced Energy Efficient Building Envelope Systems
Is Modeling in Tribology a Useful Activity?
Tribological Modeling for Mechanical Designers
Solution of Phased-Mission Benchmark Problem Using the SimPRA Dynamic PRA Methdology (PSAM-0345)
Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference on Probabilistic Safety Assessment & Management (PSAM)