Analysis of the Principles and Applications of Foldable Structures in Aerospace, Medical and Construction Fields

In contrast to conventional structures, deployable structures do not have a fixed geometry and can be transformed between fully expanded and contracted. When folded, they are smaller than traditional fixed structures and can be easily stored and transported. Due to its changeable dimension, the deployable structure has been widely studied in many fields. This research lists the representative applications of deployable structures in three major fields, including aerospace, medical and construction, and analyses the characteristics of each. It is argued that deployable structures are used in several fields currently, however, the various types are not closely related so far, and some of them have not been studied in depth. It leads to the fact that most of the current designs for deployable structures are limited to focusing on specific types. Based on the usage requirements of different industries, the deployable structures often need to be redesigned, thus limiting the promotion of deployable structures in the future. It is believed that categorizing deployable structures according to the scope of application of each type and designing several generalized structural templates for conventional structural shapes will greatly facilitate the utility of deployable structures in various fields.