Related papers: Optimizing properties on the critical rigidity man…
Random fiber networks form the structural foundation of numerous biological tissues and engineered materials. From a mechanics perspective, understanding the structure-function relationships of random fiber networks is particularly…
Combinatorial mechanical metamaterials are made of anisotropic, flexible blocks, such that multiple metamaterials may be constructed using a single block type, and the system's response depends on the frustration (or its absence) due to the…
The structure of polymer networks, defined by chain lengths and connectivity patterns, fundamentally influences their bulk properties. While existing polymer network models connect chain properties to emergent network behavior, they are…
The critical state is assumed to be optimal for any computation in recurrent neural networks, because criticality maximizes a number of abstract computational properties. We challenge this assumption by evaluating the performance of a…
To better understand the correlation between network topological features and the robustness of network controllability in a general setting, this paper suggests a practical approach to searching for optimal network topologies with given…
This paper focuses on designing edge-weighted networks, whose robustness is characterized by maximizing algebraic connectivity, or the second smallest eigenvalue of the Laplacian matrix. This problem is motivated by cooperative vehicle…
Many biological materials consist of sparse networks of disordered fibres, embedded in a soft elastic matrix. The interplay between rigid and soft elements in such composite networks leads to mechanical properties that can go far beyond the…
From the complex motions of robots to the oxygen binding of hemoglobin, the function of many mechanical systems depends on large, coordinated movements of their components. Such movements arise from a network of physical interactions in the…
Recent theoretical work suggests that systematic pruning of disordered networks consisting of nodes connected by springs can lead to materials that exhibit a host of unusual mechanical properties. In particular, global properties such as…
A tunable stiffness bone rod was designed, optimized, and 3D printed to address the common shortcomings of existing bone rods in the healing of long fractured bones. The common deficiencies of existing bone fixations are high stiffness,…
We investigate the role of architected thin films in the interfacial failure properties of bi-layer composites. Our results show that, while graded structures can be used to prescribe failure at the interface, they do not offer significant…
Flexible mechanical metamaterials possess repeating structural motifs that imbue them with novel, exciting properties including programmability, anomalous elastic moduli and nonlinear and robust response. We address such structures via…
Kinesthetic garments provide physical feedback on body posture and motion through tailored distributions of reinforced material. Their ability to selectively stiffen a garment's response to specific motions makes them appealing for…
Designing high-performing networks requires optimizing for functionality while respecting physical, geometric, or budget constraints. Yet, mathematical and computational tools to design such systems remain limited, particularly for…
A shape optimization problem arising from the optimal reinforcement of a membrane by means of one-dimensional stiffeners or from the fastest cooling of a two-dimensional object by means of ``conducting wires'' is considered. The criterion…
This work targets the influence of disorder on the relaxed structure and macroscopic mechanical properties of elastic networks. We construct network classes of different types of disorder (length, topology and stiffness), which are…
This study presents an extension of multiscale topology optimization by integrating both yield stress and local/global buckling considerations into the design process. Building upon established multiscale methodologies, we develop a new…
Topological states can be used to control the mechanical properties of a material along an edge or around a localized defect. The surface rigidity of elastic networks is characterized by a bulk topological invariant called the polarization;…
Recently, studies exemplified by Hyper-Connections (HC) have extended the ubiquitous residual connection paradigm established over the past decade by expanding the residual stream width and diversifying connectivity patterns. While yielding…
Mechanical metamaterials utilize geometry to achieve exceptional mechanical properties, including those not typically possible for traditional materials. To achieve these properties, it is necessary to identify the proper structures and…