Related papers: A rapid and automated computational approach to th…

Active structures have the ability to change their shape, properties, and functionality as a response to changing operational conditions, which makes them more versatile than their static counterparts. However, most active structures…

Rigid-bodied robots often lack compliance needed to adapt to unstructured environments, while fully soft robots, though highly adaptable, struggle with scalability and load capacity. In nature, musculoskeletal systems balance strength and…

This paper describes a 2D and 3D simulation engine that quantitatively models the statics, dynamics, and non-linear deformation of heterogeneous soft bodies in a computationally efficient manner. There is a large body of work simulating…

We present a method for differentiable simulation of soft articulated bodies. Our work enables the integration of differentiable physical dynamics into gradient-based pipelines. We develop a top-down matrix assembly algorithm within…

A macro-constitutive model for the deformation response of periodic rotating bistable auxetic surfaces is developed. Focus is placed on isotropic surfaces made of bistable hexagonal cells composed of six triangular units with two stable…

Natural organisms utilize distributed actuation through their musculoskeletal systems to adapt their gait for traversing diverse terrains or to morph their bodies for varied tasks. A longstanding challenge in robotics is to emulate this…

Mechanical metamaterials capable of large deformations are an emerging platform for functional devices and structures across scales. Bistable designs are particularly attractive since they endow a single object with two configurations that…

This paper demonstrates the computational design of soft elastomeric pneumatic actuators using nonlinear topology optimization. An existing density- and porohyperelasticity-based topology optimization framework was extended from 2D to 3D…

We present a computational design system that assists users to model, optimize, and fabricate quad-robots with soft skins.Our system addresses the challenging task of predicting their physical behavior by fully integrating the multibody…

It is shown that a compound elastic structure, which displays a dynamic instability, may be designed as the union (or 'fusion') of two structures which are stable when separately analyzed. The compound elastic structure has two degrees of…

Dielectric structures composed of many inclusions that manipulate light in ways the bulk materials cannot are commonly seen in the field of metamaterials. In these structures, each inclusion depends on a set of parameters such as location…

Dynamic control of a soft-body robot to deliver complex behaviors with low-dimensional actuation inputs is challenging. In this paper, we present a computational approach to automatically generate versatile, underactuated control policies…

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…

In this work, we present an efficiently computational approach for designing material micro-structures by means of topology optimization. The central idea relies on using the isogeometric analysis integrated with the parameterized level set…

Co-design optimisation of autonomous systems has emerged as a powerful alternative to sequential approaches by jointly optimising physical design and control strategies. However, existing frameworks often neglect the robustness required for…

Soft robots have gained significant attention due to their flexibility and safety, particularly in human-centric applications. The co-design of structure and controller in soft robotics has presented a longstanding challenge owing to the…

The design of inertial fusion experiments is a complex task as driver energy must be delivered in a precise manner to a structured target to achieve a fast, but hydrodynamically stable, implosion. Radiation-hydrodynamics simulation codes…

The paper presents a new method for shape and topology optimization based on an efficient and scalable boundary integral formulation for elasticity. To optimize topology, our approach uses iterative extraction of isosurfaces of a…

Homogenisation empowers the efficient macroscale system level prediction of physical scenarios with intricate microscale structures. Here we develop an innovative powerful, rigorous and flexible framework for asymptotic homogenisation of…

Designing mechanically efficient geometry for architectural structures like shells, towers, and bridges, is an expensive iterative process. Existing techniques for solving such inverse problems rely on traditional optimization methods,…