Self-folding origami membranes

I consider the collapse of a freely-hinged membrane consisting of rigid triangular shapes under the influence of specific, local interactions and a global bending stress. In the absence of the applied stress, the film collapses via a symmetry-breaking process. An external bending stress applied to the collapsing sheet dramatically orients the collapsing domains, giving local control over the mechanical properties of the collapsed sheet, just as an external field would in a magnet.