Related papers: Optimizing properties on the critical rigidity man…
Mechanism - collections of rigid elements coupled by perfect hinges which exhibit a zero-energy motion -- motivate the design of a variety of mechanical metamaterials. We significantly enlarge this design space by considering…
Merging and splitting are of great significance for rigid body networks in making such networks reconfigurable. The main challenges lie in simultaneously ensuring the compositionality of the distributed controllers and the mesh stability of…
Harnessing the rich nonlinear dynamics of highly-deformable materials has the potential to unlock the next generation of functional smart materials and devices. However, unlocking such potential requires effective strategies to spatially…
Designing metamaterials for extreme mechanical behavior involves the optimal selection of design parameters. However, identifying these optimal parameters through topology optimization (TO) across a large parametric space requires extensive…
Multi-step pathways, constituted of a sequence of reconfigurations, are central to a wide variety of natural and man-made systems. Such pathways autonomously execute in self-guided processes such as protein folding and self-assembly, but…
Plasticity is a fundamental property of complex systems, such as the brain or an organism. Yet it typically remains a descriptive concept inferred retrospectively from observed outcomes, such as modifications in activity or morphology.…
We present a systematic approach for constructing bar frameworks that are rigid but not first-order rigid, using constrained optimization. We show that prestress stable (but not first-order rigid) frameworks arise as the solution to a…
In this study, we developed an inverse analysis framework that proposes a microstructure for dual-phase (DP) steel that exhibits high strength and ductility. The inverse analysis method proposed in this study involves repeated random…
This study examines the mechanical behavior of a novel class of mechanical metamaterials alternating pentamode lattices and stiffening plates. The unit cell of such lattices consists of a sub-lattice of the face cubic-centered unit cell…
States of self-stress, tensions and compressions of structural elements that result in zero net forces, play an important role in determining the load-bearing ability of structures ranging from bridges to metamaterials with tunable…
This work presents a novel approach for \textit{bearing rigidity} analysis and control in multi-robot networks with sensing constraints and dynamic topology. By decomposing the system's framework into \textit{subframeworks}, we express…
We experimentally and numerically study the precise role of geometry for the mechanics of biholar metamaterials, quasi-2D slabs of rubber patterned by circular holes of two alternating sizes. We recently showed how the response to uniaxial…
The conflict between stiffness and toughness is a fundamental problem in engineering materials design. However, the systematic discovery of microstructured composites with optimal stiffness-toughness trade-offs has never been demonstrated,…
Functionally Graded Materials (FGMs) made of soft constituents have emerged as promising material-structure systems in potential applications across many engineering disciplines, such as soft robots, actuators, energy harvesting, and tissue…
Dimensionality is one of the most important properties of complex physical systems. However, only recently this concept has been considered in the context of complex networks. In this paper we further develop the previously introduced…
Metanetworks are neural architectures designed to operate directly on pretrained weights to perform downstream tasks. However, the parameter space serves only as a proxy for the underlying function class, and the parameter-function mapping…
In this paper we report a new promising idea on the design and manufacturing of ply composite structures, tailored to exhibit maximum stiffness under given weight constraints and loading conditions. It is based on the idea behind an…
In many scenarios -- when we bite food or during a crash -- fracture is inevitable. Finding solutions to steer fracture to mitigate its impact or turn it into a purposeful functionality, is therefore crucial. Strategies using composites,…
This paper presents a computational framework for the robust stiffness design of hyperelastic structures at finite deformations subject to various uncertain sources. In particular, the loading, material properties, and geometry…
We present a novel approach to understand geometric-incompatibility-induced rigidity in under-constrained materials, including sub-isostatic 2D spring networks and 2D and 3D vertex models for dense biological tissues. We show that in all…