Related papers: Designing a braille reader using the snap buckling…
In a recent feature article in this journal, co-authored by Gert van der Heijden, I described the static-dynamic analogy and its role in understanding the localized post-buckling of shell-like structures, looking exclusively at integrable…
We introduce a high-throughput platform that enables simultaneous, parallel testing of six bistable beams via programmable motion of a rotating disk. By prescribing harmonic angular dynamics, the platform explores the phase space of angular…
The development of a desktop Braille printing machine aims to create an affordable, user-friendly device for visually impaired users. This document outlines the entire process, from research and requirement analysis to distribution and…
Mechanical metamaterials composed of bistable elements have recently emerged as promising platforms for mechanical memory. Traditional approaches to writing information in these systems typically rely on localized actuation or predefined…
Autonomous deployment and shape reconfiguration of structures is a crucial field of research in space exploration with emerging applications in the automotive, building and biomedical industries. Challenges in achieving autonomy include:…
This paper presents the conceptual design of a low-cost simple printer head for Braille embossers. Such device consists of a set of three rotary cam-follower mechanisms that, upon actuation, produce deformation on paper. The set of…
Grip, walk, crawl, and jump. Soft robots are integrated functional structures composed of compliant mechanisms, whose activity spans various industrial applications such as surgery, healthcare, surveillance, and even planetary exploration.…
Fully soft bistable mechanisms have shown extensive applications ranging from soft robotics, wearable devices, and medical tools, to energy harvesting. However, the lack of design and fabrication methods that are easy and potentially…
In the context of the Damage Mechanics Challenge, we adopt a phase-field model of brittle fracture to blindly predict the behavior up to failure of a notched three-point-bending specimen loaded under mixed-mode conditions. The beam is…
We study the buckling of an idealized, semiflexible filament along whose contour magnetic moments are placed. {We give analytic expressions for the critical stiffness of the filament below which it buckles due to the magnetic compression.…
A thin flat rectangular plate supported on its edges and subjected to in-plane loading exhibits stable post-buckling behaviour. However, the introduction of a nonlinear (softening) elastic foundation may cause the response to become…
Preemptive identification of potential failure under loading of engineering structures is a critical challenge. Our study presents an innovative approach to built-in pre-failure indicators within multiscale structural designs utilizing the…
Bistable mechanisms are prevalent across a broad spectrum of applications due to their ability to maintain two distinct stable states. Their energy consumption is predominantly confined to the process of state transitions, thereby enhancing…
Mechanical metamaterials made of flexible building blocks can exhibit a plethora of extreme mechanical responses, such as negative elastic constants, shape-changes, programmability and memory. To date, dissipation has largely remained…
Aging populations and the rising prevalence of neurological and musculoskeletal disorders increase the demand for wearable mobility assistive devices that are effective, comfortable, and anatomically compatible. Many existing systems use…
Industrial laparoscopic graspers use multi-link rigid mechanisms manufactured to tight tolerances, resulting in high manufacturing and assembly costs. This work presents the design and proof-of-concept validation of a monolithic, fully…
Thin-shell structures, found in biological systems such as beetle carapaces and widely used in aerospace, civil, and mechanical engineering, achieve remarkable strength-to-mass ratio given their slenderness and curved geometries. However,…
The influence of initial shape imperfections on the post-buckling and translational behavior of encapsulated microbubbles is investigated subject to acoustic excitation in an unbounded flow. Bifurcation analysis reveals that imperfections…
Micro-milling spindles require high rotational speeds where conventional rolling element bearings face limitations such as friction and thermal expansion. Active magnetic bearings (AMBs) address these challenges by providing non-contact and…
Dynamic buckling is addressed for complete elastic spherical shells subject to a rapidly applied step in external pressure. Insights from the perspective of nonlinear dynamics reveal essential mathematical features of the buckling…