kirigami pattern
Emergent morphogenesis via planar fabrication enabled by a reduced model of composites
Zhang, Yupeng, Alon, Adam, Jawed, M. Khalid
The ability to engineer complex three-dimensional shapes from planar sheets with precise, programmable control underpins emerging technologies in soft robotics, reconfigurable devices, and functional materials. Here, we present a reduced-order numerical and experimental framework for a bilayer system consisting of a stimuli-responsive thermoplastic sheet (Shrinky Dink) bonded to a kirigami-patterned, inert plastic layer. Upon uniform heating, the active layer contracts while the patterned layer constrains in-plane stretch but allows out-of-plane bending, yielding programmable 3D morphologies from simple planar precursors. Our approach enables efficient computational design and scalable manufacturing of 3D forms with a single-layer reduced model that captures the coupled mechanics of stretching and bending. Unlike traditional bilayer modeling, our framework collapses the multilayer composite into a single layer of nodes and elements, reducing the degrees of freedom and enabling simulation on a 2D geometry. This is achieved by introducing a novel energy formulation that captures the coupling between in-plane stretch mismatch and out-of-plane bending - extending beyond simple isotropic linear elastic models. Experimentally, we establish a fully planar, repeatable fabrication protocol using a stimuli-responsive thermoplastic and a laser-cut inert plastic layer. The programmed strain mismatch drives an array of 3D morphologies, such as bowls, canoes, and flower petals, all verified by both simulation and physical prototypes.
Rapid design of fully soft deployable structures via kirigami cuts and active learning
Ma, Leixin, Mungekar, Mrunmayi, Roychowdhury, Vwani, Jawed, M. Khalid
Soft deployable structures - unlike conventional piecewise rigid deployables based on hinges and springs - can assume intricate 3-D shapes, thereby enabling transformative technologies in soft robotics, shape-morphing architecture, and pop-up manufacturing. Their virtually infinite degrees of freedom allow precise control over the final shape. The same enabling high dimensionality, however, poses a challenge for solving the inverse design problem involving this class of structures: to achieve desired 3D structures it typically requires manufacturing technologies with extensive local actuation and control during fabrication, and a trial and error search over a large design space. We address both of these shortcomings by first developing a simplified planar fabrication approach that combines two ingredients: strain mismatch between two layers of a composite shell and kirigami cuts that relieves localized stress. In principle, it is possible to generate targeted 3-D shapes by designing the appropriate kirigami cuts and selecting the right amount of prestretch, thereby eliminating the need for local control. Second, we formulate a data-driven physics-guided framework that reduces the dimensionality of the inverse design problem using autoencoders and efficiently searches through the ``latent" parameter space in an active learning approach. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the rapid design procedure via a range of target shapes, such as peanuts, pringles, flowers, and pyramids. Tabletop experiments are conducted to fabricate the target shapes. Experimental results and numerical predictions from our framework are found to be in good agreement.