Origami Crane With Flapping Wings

Wouldn't it be cool if an ordinary looking origami crane suddenly started flapping its wings?

In my previous project, I created a funny dancing origami. This is my second project related to origami, but it's easier than the previous one. This project doesn't require a microcontroller and programing; it's kind of crafting.

Parts

1. N20 geared motor, single shaft, 13-53rpm (×1)
2. Φ1mm Steel Round Rods (×1)
3. 12 × 12 in (30.5 × 30.5 cm) paper (I used leftover wrapping paper.)
4. SR44 (357/303) battery (×2)
5. Conductive copper tape
6. Wires (I used white AWG28 silicone wire.)

Tools

1. 3D printer and filament (I used a Flashforge Adventurer 4.)
2. Soldering tools
3. Pliers
4. Hot glue gun
5. Tape

The attached GIF shows the motion of the gimmick module placed in the origami crane.

The mechanism is a simple combination of cam and linkage mechanisms. As the cam attached to the motor shaft rotates, it pushes the follower. The follower then slides, opening and closing the wings via linkage structures, similar to an umbrella mechanism.

The models were designed using Autodesk Fusion.

Print all parts. Please note that you need to print two copies of link.stl. The holder.stl only requires support.

This step shows how to assemble the 3D printed parts to build the gimmick module. The numbers in the attached figure correspond to the steps below.

1. Cut a Φ1 mm rod into four pieces of about 5-6 mm and two pieces of about 11-14 mm using pliers.

Caution⚠️ : When cutting, pieces may fly off, so I recommend wearing eye protection. In addition, making a notch with pliers and then breaking it can prevent pieces from flying off.

1. Connect two links and the follower using the short rods made in the previous process with pliers.

Caution⚠️ : The tip of the Φ1mm rod is sharp. Be careful not to cut yourself with the tip.

1. Insert the cam into the motor shaft.
2. Set the follower on the cam, and slide the motor and the follower into the holder until the snap-fits click into place.
3. Connect the wings to the holder using inserting the long rods with pliers.
4. Connect the other side of the links to the wings using the short rods with pliers.

Here is the wiring step. The numbers in the attached figure correspond to the steps below.

1. Cut the copper tape into two pieces of 15 mm by 10 mm pieces, and two 5 mm by 25 mm. The first pieces are for the switch contacts, and the second pieces are for the battery contacts.
2. Cut the wire into three pieces, approximately 30 mm, 60 mm, and 90 mm long.
3. Solder the wires and the copper tapes as shown in the figure. We will call them wire A, B, and C as shown in the figure.
4. Stick the copper tape of wire A to the holder as shown in the figure. It serves as the negative battery contact.
5. Solder the other end of wire A to one of the motor terminals.
6. Solder one end of wire B to the other motor terminal.
7. Stick the copper tape of wire C's battery contact side to the holder as shown in the figure. It serves as the positive battery contact. While sticking, adjust the length of wire C by cutting the battery contact tape or positioning it so that the switch contact of wire C aligns with that of Wire B when both wires are stretched.
8. Apply hot glue to cover and secure the motor terminals.
9. Insert two batteries into the holder.
10. Make the switch contacts touch to turn on and check that the gimmick module works well.

You need a bit larger paper than standard origami paper. In addition to wrapping paper, two layers of newspaper also work. However, thicker paper like cardstock doesn't work well because it is too stiff to flap with the chosen motor.

The numbers in the attached figure correspond to the steps below. The process of installing the gimmick module is also shown in the YouTube video.

1. Cut wrapping paper into a 12 in by 12 in piece.
2. Fold a classic origami crane following steps1 to13 in the great instruction (How to Make a Paper Crane) shared by RNmaster.
3. Let down the folded neck and tail.
4. Open the backside of the wing.
5. Make 15mm cuts inside the wing as shown in the figure.
6. Fold back the cut area.
7. Repeat steps 4 to 6 on the other side of the wing.
8. Open the origami as shown in the figure.
9. Place the module inside the origami so that the battery side faces the tail side.
10. Put the head and tail back in place. Make sure the switch contacts are on the outside.
11. Use tapes to attach the module wings to the origami wings.
12. Stick copper tapes inside the tail as shown in the figure.

It's finally finished! Pinch the tail to turn the switch on.

To those who don't know the gimmick, it looks like magic😉. Enjoy your crafting life!