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| A graphic demonstrates how researchers used kirigami-inspired techniques to design thin sheets of material that automatically reconfigure into new two-dimensional (2D) shapes and three-dimensional (3D) structures in response to environmental stimuli. Source: North Carolina State University |
Dynamic materials that can autonomously move and assemble into different shapes are the way forward for materials science researchers who already have invented a number of novel materials with these characteristics.
Kirigami techniques have inspired a research team at North Carolina State University to develop thin sheets of material that can automatically turn themselves into 2D shapes and 3D structures in response to stimuli from the environment. Like the more popularly known origami, kirigami is a Japanese paper art form in which a single piece of paper is cut and folded to create new shapes and structures.
Specifically, the team led by Jie Yin, an assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at the university created a variety of robots from the material that can transform from 2D kirigami patterns into 3D structures without mechanical input. “Instead, we apply energy in the form of heat, and the material rearranges itself,” said Yin, adding that the materials represent a first for this type of behavior.
Kirigami Robots
Researchers demonstrated how the materials work by creating several thermo-responsive kirigami machines in various forms. These machines include simple robotic gripping devices and self-folding boxes, they.
The team also created a more complex device showing a greater range of the material’s ability to move and assemble autonomously in the form of a soft robot with a kirigami body and pneumatic legs. By switching the orientation of the body, researchers demonstrated how they could rapidly reposition the legs, changing the robot’s direction of movement, they said.
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Source: DesignNews
