Folding angle and wing flexibility influence the flight performance of origami winged fruits

Winged fruits possess a unique flight mechanism relying on simple geometric structures rather than neuromuscular control. This study proposes an innovative approach using origami techniques to create three-winged model fruits, serving as a proxy for understanding the flight dynamics of natural winged fruits. Paper is employed to simulate inherent wing flexibility, with the option to add plastic frames for rigidity. We comprehensively investigate the free fall motion of both rigid and flexible winged fruits through experimental and numerical analyses. Velocity–time curves reveal a three-stage descent pattern—acceleration, deceleration, and steady states. The overshoot phenomenon is attributed to rapid lift increase due to leading-edge vortices attaching stably to the wings. This insight sheds light on aerodynamics governing fruit flight. Compared with rigid wings, flexible wings exhibit two key properties—slower descent and higher self-orienting capability—that facilitate a more stable and longer-distance dispersal of seeds under crosswind conditions. Our study demonstrates the potential benefits of flexible wings in natural seed distribution. This study advances our understanding of winged fruit flight dynamics, utilizing origami as a powerful tool for biomimetic investigations. The findings have broad implications, from improving aerodynamic designs to developing efficient micro air vehicles and electronic microfliers, and understanding seed dispersal evolution. Graphical abstract: (Figure presented.).