A study on an origami-based structure for use as a sun umbrella

Origami art has found numerous engineering applications. Many studies show that folding structures are the source of the desired system characteristics. In this article, we discuss the design of a beach umbrella based on the principles of origami and the study of its optical and mechanical properties. The main requirements for the designed model are that it should reduce the harmful effects of solar radiation on human health, should be compact for storage, and not collapse in the wind. To demonstrate the optical and mechanical properties of the designed model, the developed recursive ray tracing algorithm is used to simulate the propagation of light rays through the designed paper origami-based structure and the numerical simulations are performed using the commercial software ANSYS and LS-DYNA to study the behavior of the designed origami-based structure under lateral forces as well as its folding behavior. A combination of ray tracing approach and an optimization technique based on the genetic algorithm for modifying the developed model is also discussed. Simulation results are presented in the illustrations.