Origami engineering: Creating dynamic functional materials through folded structures

The scientific community has displayed an increasing interest in the materials and strategies for the development of origami structures capable of undergoing 2D to 3D transitions owing to their potential to create materials possessing fundamentally new functionalities and characteristics. Thin film residual stresses, mechanically active materials, or forces that arise from capillarity have been used as a mechanism to undergo folding deformations in engineered structures inspired by origami and have found potential in multiple arenas. The self-assembling, shape memory, and reversible properties of these smart materials have aided in maintaining the desired structure, and the ability of the material to withstand change after exposure and regain its original shape, which, encouraged this emerging innovative approach to meet current needs. In this article, a primary attempt has been carried out to consolidate the origami revolution over the last decade in various emerging fields, as well as its future applications and challenges. The emphasis has been provided on the designing of origami structures that permit the operationalization of advanced macro to nano-scale materials in 3D functional structures that have expanded their reach to multiple fields such as spacecraft, robotics, lithium-ion batteries, and biomedical applications.