Evaluation Criteria for Conceptual Designs of Deployable-Foldable Truss Structures

Techniques for the creative design of deployable-foldable truss structures have recently been developed to result in the generation of all possible designs for some given general characteristics of the structure [1–4]. This article discusses the development of evaluation criteria for these designs, so that the process of selection and enumeration of desirable candidates can be facilitated. To accommodate the evaluation of large numbers of conceptual designs, special attention is given to the development of criteria that are suitable for implementation in automated procedures for the design selection. Examples are provided that demonstrate the use of these criteria in a design selection process.