Reprogrammable Metamaterials via Joint Biasing for Shape Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current mechanical metamaterials are limited by requiring individual actuators for shape changes, making them large and inefficient, and often need to be redesigned for each adjustment, restricting their range of accessible states and making them unsuitable for dynamic surface profile manipulation.
Innovation Solution
A reprogrammable system with a structure composed of layers of unit cells connected by joints, where the system matrix is calculated to encode desired profiles, allowing for global and local Poisson's ratio control through joint biasing, enabling arbitrary surface profiles and rapid shape transformation without maintaining inputs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If individual actuators are used to drive and maintain system states, then shape control capability is improved, but device size and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the actuation function from individual actuators and relocates it to the joint connections between unit cells. The joints themselves become the actuating elements through biasing mechanisms, eliminating the need for separate actuator components while maintaining shape control capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The unit cell structure is designed to be self-actuating through joint biasing. The connecting joints inherently provide the actuation force through their biasing mechanism, allowing the structure to drive and maintain its own states without external actuators, thereby reducing device complexity.
2Stability of the object's composition
If mechanical metamaterials are designed for a single specific task, then structural stability is improved, but adaptability to different tasks decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic reprogrammability by allowing the joint biasing to be changed after fabrication. The connecting joints can be reconfigured to different biasing states, enabling the same structure to access multiple stable states and perform different tasks, thus achieving both stability and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The unit cell structure with reconfigurable joint biasing serves multiple functions. A single fabricated structure can be reprogrammed to achieve different surface profiles and mechanical responses, making it universal for various applications rather than dedicated to a single task.
3Manufacturing precision
If current morphing surface technologies are programmed at construction, then manufacturing precision is improved, but reprogrammability after fabrication is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent prepares the structure during fabrication with reconfigurable joint mechanisms that are pre-designed but not pre-set to a specific state. The joints are constructed with the capability to be biased in different directions, allowing programming to occur after fabrication when the actual task is known.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from static programming at construction to dynamic reprogramming after fabrication. The joint biasing can be adjusted and changed throughout the system's operational life, enabling the structure to be reprogrammed for different tasks without requiring reconstruction.
4Ease of operation
If individual actuators are used to maintain system states, then shape control is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The joint biasing mechanism provides self-actuation, where the structure uses its own internal mechanical properties to maintain shape states. Once a state is achieved through joint configuration, no continuous energy input is required to maintain it, significantly reducing energy consumption compared to active actuators.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent removes the continuous energy consumption associated with active actuators by extracting the actuation function and implementing it through passive joint biasing mechanisms. The structure maintains its states through mechanical configuration rather than continuous actuation.
Data Source
AI summary
Described herein are reprogrammable systems and methods for controlling the same. The reprogrammable system comprises a first side configured to be reprogrammable in at least a first direction. The first side is formed by a reprogrammable structure having one or more layers stacked in a second direction. An individual layer of the one or more layers has repeating unit cells. A first unit cell of the repeating unit cells has elements. The elements are connected by connecting joints. A first unit cell of the repeating unit cells shares at least one element and/or at least one connecting joint with a second unit cell of the repeating unit cells.