Related papers: Physics-aware differentiable design of magneticall…
Hand motion capture data is now relatively easy to obtain, even for complicated grasps; however this data is of limited use without the ability to retarget it onto the hands of a specific character or robot. The target hand may differ…
Designing physical artifacts that serve a purpose - such as tools and other functional structures - is central to engineering as well as everyday human behavior. Though automating design has tremendous promise, general-purpose methods do…
Nematic elastomers dramatically change their shape in response to diverse stimuli including light and heat. In this paper, we provide a systematic framework for the design of complex three dimensional shapes through the actuation of…
Thin elastic sheets bend easily and, if they are patterned with cuts, can deform in sophisticated ways. Here we show that carefully tuning the location and arrangement of cuts within thin sheets enables the design of mechanical actuators…
Reconfigurable mechanical systems enable precise programmable control over structural properties, opening new opportunities in architected materials, adaptive devices, and multifunctional structures. Here, we introduce elastic rod origami…
Ring origami, consisting of closed-loop rods, is a class of shape-morphing structures that undergo shape transformation through folding enabled by snap-buckling instabilities, referred to as snap-folding instabilities. Previous studies have…
The dramatic effect kirigami, such as hole cutting, has on the elastic properties of thin sheets invites a study of the mechanics of thin elastic frames under an external load. Such frames can be thought of as modular elements needed to…
Origami designs offer extreme reconfigurability due to hinge rotation and facet deformation. This can be exploited to make lightweight metamaterials with controlled deployability and tunable properties. Here, we create a family of…
The challenge in reconfigurable manipulation of sound waves using metasurfaces lies in achieving precise control over acoustic behavior while developing efficient and practical tuning methods for structural configurations. However, most…
We present a novel, physically-based morphing technique for elastic shapes, leveraging the differentiable material point method (MPM) with space-time control through per-particle deformation gradients to accommodate complex topology…
Retargeting human kinematic reference motion onto a robot's morphology remains a formidable challenge. Existing methods often produce physical inconsistencies, such as foot sliding, self-collisions, or dynamically infeasible motions, which…
A novel design of an elastic metamaterial with anisotropic mass density is proposed to manipulate flexural waves at a subwavelength scale. The three-dimensional metamaterial is inspired by kirigami, which can be easily manufactured by…
When humans perform contact-rich manipulation tasks, customized tools are often necessary to simplify the task. For instance, we use various utensils for handling food, such as knives, forks and spoons. Similarly, robots may benefit from…
Shape-programmable soft materials that exhibit integrated multifunctional shape manipulations, including reprogrammable, untethered, fast, and reversible shape transformation and locking, are highly desirable for a plethora of applications,…
Lattices and their underlying symmetries play a central role in determining the physical properties and applications of many natural and engineered materials. By bridging the lattice geometry and rigid-folding kinematics, this study…
Mechanical metamaterials leverage geometric design to achieve unconventional properties, such as high strength at low density, efficient wave guiding, and complex shape morphing. The ability to control shape changes builds on the complex…
Kirigami is the art of cutting paper to make it articulated and deployable, allowing for it to be shaped into complex two and three-dimensional geometries. The mechanical response of a kirigami sheet when it is pulled at its ends is enabled…
Slender magnetic elements provide a versatile platform for programmable shape-morphing under remote magnetic actuation. However, a general and physically interpretable framework for the inverse design of a `magneto-elastica' under…
The wrist plays a pivotal role in facilitating motion dexterity and hand functions. Wrist orthoses, from passive braces to active exoskeletons, provide an effective solution for the assistance and rehabilitation of motor abilities. However,…
The principles underlying the art of origami paper folding can be applied to design sophisticated metamaterials with unique mechanical properties. By exploiting the flat crease patterns that determine the dynamic folding and unfolding…