Related papers: Directed Shape Morphing using Kirigami-enhanced Th…

We present a mathematical model of polymer bilayers that undergo large bending deformations when actuated by non-mechanical stimuli such as thermal effects. The simple model captures a large class of nonlinear bending effects and can be…

Over the past decade, kirigami--the Japanese art of paper cutting--has been playing an increasing role in the emerging field of mechanical metamaterials and a myriad of other mechanical applications. Nonetheless, a deep understanding of the…

Kirigami, the art of paper cutting, has been widely used in the modern design of mechanical metamaterials. In recent years, many kirigami-based metamaterials have been designed based on different planar tiling patterns and applied to…

The creation of whole 3D objects in one shot is an ultimate goal for rapid prototyping, most notably biofabrication, where conventional methods are typically slow and apply mechanical or chemical stress on biological cells. Here, we…

Soft robotics gripper have shown great promise in handling fragile and geometrically complex objects. However, most existing solutions rely on bulky actuators, complex control strategies, or advanced tactile sensing to achieve stable and…

Additive manufacturing strives to combine any combination of materials into three dimensional functional structures and devices, ultimately opening up the possibility of 3D printed machines. It remains difficult to actuate such devices,…

An efficient way to introduce elastic energy that can bias an origami structure toward desired shapes is to allow curved tiles between the creases. The bending of the tiles supplies the energy and the tiles themselves may have additional…

Amorphous materials of homogeneous structures usually suffer from nonuniform deformation under shear, which can develop into shear localization and eventually destructive shear band. One approach to tackle this issue is to introduce an…

Thin bilayers made of elastic sheets with different strain recoveries can be used for dynamic shape morphing through ambient stimuli, such as temperature, mass diffusion, and light. As a fundamentally different approach to designing…

We present an additive approach for the inverse design of kirigami-based mechanical metamaterials by focusing on the empty (negative) spaces instead of the solid tiles. By considering each negative space as a four-bar linkage, we identify a…

Kirigami metamaterials dramatically change their shape through a coordinated motion of nearly rigid panels and flexible slits. Here, we study a model system for mechanism-based planar kirigami featuring periodic patterns of quadrilateral…

We design a class of spatially inhomogeneous heat spreaders in the context of steady-state thermal conduction leading to spatially uniform thermal fields across a large convective surface. Each spreader has a funnel-shaped design, either in…

Eating is a daily challenge for over 60 million adults with essential tremors and other mobility limitations. For these users, traditional utensils like forks or spoons are difficult to manipulate -- resulting in accidental spills and…

The nonlinear mechanical response of soft materials and slender structures is purposefully harnessed to program functions by design in soft robotic actuators, such as sequencing, amplified response, fast energy release, etc. However,…

Surface plasmon resonances generated in metallic nanostructures can be utilized to tailor electromagnetic fields. The precise spatial arrangement of such structures can result in surprising optical properties that are not found in any…

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…

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…

Freeform thin-shell surfaces are critical in various fields, but their fabrication is complex and costly. Traditional methods are wasteful and require custom molds, while 3D printing needs extensive support structures and post-processing.…

Origami inspired architectures offer a powerful route toward lightweight, reconfigurable, and programmable robotic systems. Yet, a unified mechanics framework capable of seamlessly bridging rigid folding, elastic deformation, and stability…

Adaptation to various scene configurations and object properties, stability and dexterity in robotic grasping manipulation is far from explored. This work presents an origami-based shape morphing fingertip design to actively tackle the…