Fiber-reinforced origami electronics with high rigidity and flexibility for display applications

Origami structures provide functional advantages to rigid electronics through geometric transformations. However, the transformations involved in folding and deployment cause stress concentration on flexure hinges of origami structure, triggering electronic malfunction. Here, we report origami electronics based on a fiber-reinforced electronic composite. A thin PEDOT:PSS-based electronic composite minimizes stress during folding without electrode damage. Nylon is embedded in this foldable composite and, despite being thin and flexible for folding, provides high tensile resistance to prevent plastic deformation and tearing under tension. This strategy enables the creation of flexure hinges for origami electronics that maintain mechanical and electrical stability under repeated transformations. Origami electronics that integrate the high-durability composite can be used in display applications supporting 25-fold compression with the Flasher origami structure and 2D-to-3D deployment with the Kresling origami structure. The ability of origami electronics to withstand bending and tensile stress enables shape-reconfigurable displays requiring repeated reconfiguration across multiple hinges.